Dominican Senate forms commission to review Aerodom-State contract, approves other legislative projects

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Senate has established a special commission to examine the contract between Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom) and the State. This decision, announced by Senate President Ricardo de los Santos, comes with the approval for the Senate Plenary to act as a General Commission to hear from government officials involved in negotiating and signing the contract.

Senator Milcíades Franjul will lead the commission, comprising Senators Dionis Sánchez, Melania Salvador Jiménez, Arys Yván Lorenzo, Alexis Victoria, Ginnette Bournigal de Jiménez, Ramón Rogelio Genao, Eddy Nolasco, and Bautista Rojas Gómez. The commission’s task is to scrutinize and evaluate the concession contract for various international and domestic airports, including José Francisco Peña Gómez and Gregorio Luperón. The concession bill, already approved by the Chamber of Deputies, was initially sent by the Executive Branch.

Furthermore, Senate President de los Santos expressed intentions to coordinate with the Chamber of Deputies, led by Alfredo Pacheco, to facilitate the approval of projects post-Christmas period.

In the same session, the Senate passed several legislative projects in the first reading. These include tax exemptions for digital security cameras on public roads, proposed modifications to the Law on Port Activity, amendments to the Organic Law of Public Administration, and a bill regulating private detective professional practice.

Ambassador appointments were also ratified during the session. Mayerlyn Roseiby Cordero Díaz was confirmed as ambassador to the OAS; Josué Antinoe Fiallo Billini Portorreal, in Costa Rica; and Anabel Idamaris Bueno Santana, at the UNWTO in Madrid, Spain.

The Senate approved agreements with international organizations, including JICA for an energy efficiency program, the IBRD for drinking water and sanitation sector modernization, and the IDB for a sustainable coastal management project. Additionally, a loan agreement with CABEI for the Montegrande dam and another with the IBRD for electricity sector reforms were ratified.

These developments represent significant legislative progress in the Dominican Republic, focusing on infrastructure, international relations, and public administration reforms.