Public Procurement suspends 38 supplier registrations linked to officials

Santo Domingo.- The General Directorate of Public Procurement (DGCP) reported this Monday that it suspended 38 State Supplier Registries (RPE) corresponding to first and second level hierarchical officials, for being within the regime of disqualifications provided for in article 14 of the Law on Public Purchases and Contracts. Among the suspended records are ministers, deputy ministers, directors, deputy directors, legal consultants, mayors, and councilors, "legally prohibited from being bidders or supplying goods, works, or services to State institutions, as established by current regulations," the DGPC stated in a statement.

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The measure is the result of a systematic cross-referencing of information carried out by the Verification and Supplier Management departments. These suspensions "are preventive measures adopted to guarantee the integrity of the State Suppliers Registry and are part of the cross-referencing of information that is carried out regularly, with the aim of preventing possible conflicts of interest and strengthening control in public procurement processes", added the statement. In that sense, the general director of Public Contracting, Carlos Pimentel, reiterated that this measure does not constitute an administrative sanction, but a preventive action aimed at protecting the integrity of the public procurement system and ensuring compliance with the regulatory framework. “The timely detection and institutional response to situations that may compromise transparency are fundamental pillars in the surveillance work carried out by the DGCP in compliance with its legal mandate,” Pimentel underlined. The records were suspended in the Electronic Public Procurement System (SECP), as established by the corresponding administrative act. The DGCP reported that, during the present administration, 567 supplier registrations have been suspended.