Deputies accuse the Executive Branch of modifying the law just to extend the Aerodom contract

Santo Domingo.- Opposition legislators in the Dominican Republic have raised concerns over the recent promulgation of a law that allows for the renegotiation and modification of contracts. They accuse the Executive Branch of tailoring the law to suit their specific objectives and point to the prompt modification of a contract shortly after the law’s approval.

Some legislators argue that they requested information about the contracts the Executive Branch intended to modify during the law’s debate, but they received no response. They believe that the law was designed to serve a particular purpose, allowing the government to renegotiate contracts to its advantage.

Critics question the need to modify contracts with several years left until their expiration, as in the case of the Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom) contract, which was extended for an additional 30 years.

While the law aims to provide regulatory measures for concession contracts signed before 2006, it also stipulates that contracts previously approved by Congress or affecting the State must be reviewed by the Executive Branch. President Luis Abinader announced the contract’s submission to the National Congress, but it had not reached either legislative chamber at the time of the report.