Santo Domingo.– The Environment Secretariat of the Fuerza del Pueblo (FP) party expressed its concern this Thursday regarding the management of the resources of the DO Sostenible Public-Private Trust, considering that the execution of the funds collected for the comprehensive management of solid waste raises serious questions about their use and transparency.
While reading a document from the organization, the Secretary of Environment of the FP, Paíno Abreu, stated that “the DO Sustainable Trust looks more like a fund to distribute profits to third parties,” noting that the entity’s financial statements reflect a marked disproportion between the resources allocated to meet the objectives of the law and those used for administrative and personnel expenses.
Abreu explained that, in the three years of the trust’s operation, personnel expenses amounted to more than RD$537 million, equivalent to 86% of the resources allocated to the construction of landfills, while payments for salaries, compensation, and fees represented nearly half of what was invested in waste transport.
Likewise, he maintained that the fiduciary entity itself received more than RD$223 million for the administration of the fund, an amount which, as he indicated, far exceeds the limits originally established and raises the management fee to up to 3% of the income received.
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The political organization also questioned the procedures used for the contracting of billions of pesos destined for solid waste management, the construction of landfills, waste transport, and equipment rental, considering it necessary for the country to know under what mechanisms those resources were awarded, supervised, and audited.
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“The idea of efficiency that motivated the creation of this trust has been diluted by non-transparent management and an excessively politicized management structure,” noted Abreu, while warning that the recent increase in contributions contemplated in the legislation will end up being passed on to the cost of goods and services paid for by Dominican consumers.
The People’s Force (Fuerza del Pueblo) also expressed its concern regarding the modifications introduced to the Solid Waste Law, understanding that they contradict technical recommendations and generate conflicts with other provisions related to territorial planning and land use.
Likewise, the organization referred to the project for the installation of a waste recovery plant in the municipal district of La Cuaba, in Pedro Brand, regarding which it considered it important that any initiative of this nature duly take into account the concerns of the communities and the environmental conditions of the area, always seeking solutions that harmonize the protection of natural resources, local development, and the collective interest.
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Finally, he maintained that proper solid waste management must be based on criteria of transparency, participation, and sustainability, ensuring that the collected resources fulfill the purpose for which they were created and translate into real benefits for the population and the environment.
