Digesett whistle bidding suspended ex officio

The General Directorate of Public Procurement ( DGCP ) suspended the purchase process for whistles and whistle holders carried out by the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation ( DIGESETT ), for an estimated amount of RD$5.6 million, after verifying the absence of the prior studies required by the regulations.

The procedure, identified by the number DIGESETT -CCC-CP-2025-0021 and aimed exclusively at MSMEs led by women, was announced on September 1.

However, the DGCP 's preventive monitoring determined that the institution did not submit the documentation justifying the need for the purchase, the market analysis , or the reference costs.

According to the suspension report, the omission constitutes a violation of Article 66 of Regulation 416-23 implementing Law 340-06 on Public Procurement and Contracting , which establishes that every process must be supported by prior studies .

The DGCP , headed by its director Carlos Pimentel , decided to immediately suspend the bidding process "in order to avoid prolonging the irregular situation and affecting the interests of the bidders."

In a press release, the governing body explained that the measure is precautionary and corrective in nature and seeks to ensure that the contracting entity adjusts its process to current regulations and guarantees the principles of efficiency, transparency, and publicity, thereby protecting the rights and interests of bidders and potential bidders.

The suspension was immediately implemented by the SECP and formally notified to DIGESETT for the corresponding purposes.

Preliminary studies are a prerequisite for launching a contracting process and a tool for determining an institution's real needs, the asset's market value, and the timeframe in which it would be available.

Article 4 of the aforementioned regulation 416-23 defines preliminary studies as the set of investigations and analyses that support the need for the supplier selection procedure to be carried out and allows for the definition of the object, its characteristics, the demand and supply in the market, the viability and the estimated budget of the good, service or work to be contracted, as well as any relevant information to satisfy the need in question.

The DGCP emphasized that this decision reaffirms its commitment to excellence, integrity, and transparency in public procurement .

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