Santo Domingo.- President Danilo Medina on Tuesday signed anexecutive order that bans the sale,donation or lease of State Sugar Council (CEA) lands, a measure aimed athalting the historic pillaging of Dominican Republic’s vast lands formerly usedto harvest sugar cane.
The measure creates the CEA Land Evaluation Commission,headed by minister without portfolio Bautista Rojas, the former minister of theEnvironment.
The Presidency said the measure ensures the rational andsustainable use of CEA lands. “Administrative real estate transactions includingthe sale, assignment in usufruct and exchange of land are prohibited.”
"To conduct any of these actions, there must be priorauthorization of the Executive Branch," the decree says and instructs theOffice of the Comptroller General to audit CEA’s land inventory, includingassignments for the use, leases, exchanges and donations.
“Likewise, the Office of the Comptroller General will also proceedto audit the temporary or permanent sales of CEA lands in the period 2000-2016.”