Abel Martínez: “Transparency must be the hallmark of all public management”

After receiving the report on his management corresponding to the first four years at the head of the Santiago City Council, Martínez has asked the Court of Auditors to also audit the 2020-2024 period  Santiago. – The former president of the Chamber of Deputies and former mayor of Santiago de los Caballeros, Abel Martínez, reaffirmed his commitment to transparency in public management, highlighting that not only the institutions, but also their heads, must promote and support audits as a guarantee of trust for the citizenry. Through a press release, Martinez reported that he sent a communication to the plenary of the Court of Auditors, in which he confirmed that he had received the final report of the audit carried out by that supervisory body on his first term as mayor (2016-2020) and valued the technical work of the auditors, assuring that the observations, many of which corresponded to the management prior to his, were fully accepted with responsibility in a timely manner, since he took office as mayor.

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In the missive, Abel Martínez demonstrates consistency with his trajectory in favor of transparency, formally requesting the Plenary of the Chamber of Accounts to include his second term (2020-2024) in the audit schedule. In response, the institution confirmed that the evaluation of those years is being considered, which guarantees the continuity of the process.

"We have always stood up. I was audited as president of the Chamber of Deputies for six years and before completing our second term as mayor, in addition to having been audited by the Comptroller General of the Republic, through public bidding we hired a private auditing company, which certified the clean and transparent management of the Mayor's Office. For me and all my work team, transparency is not a speech: it is a practice that we always assume," he pointed out.

Transformation of Santiago: a legacy of transparency and works During his eight years of municipal management, Martínez spearheaded a historic transformation in Santiago de los Caballeros: • Implemented the first Territorial Planning Plan of the Dominican Republic. • Developed an ambitious program of parks, clubs, clubhouses, and recreational spaces. • Modernized the city with asphalting works, urban planning, and beautification. • Created a Transparency Portal open to citizens, a pioneer in the country. • Promoted art and culture with urban murals, which gave the city international projection. • He led the City Council to first place in the Municipal Sismap throughout his term, with scores above 97/100, becoming a model of transparency and efficient management in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“We are proud to have made Santiago the pride of all Dominicans, with visible works, modern processes and a transparent management of every penny of the people,” said Martinez.

Finally, Abel Martínez called for transparency to become the hallmark of all public management, stating that the people want open institutions, constant audits and accountability. In his opinion, that should be the commitment of those who have held or currently hold public office.

"The heads of the different institutions must open the doors to the Chamber of Accounts so that it continues to carry out and publish its audits, because this strengthens transparency and the management of State resources, without forgetting that every penny comes from the effort of every Dominican. Only in this way do we strengthen democracy and restore confidence to citizens," he concluded.