Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader highlighted state anti-corruption progress on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, during the opening of the Second Public Procurement Forum in Santo Domingo.
Abinader was joined by Public Procurement Director Carlos Pimentel and Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso, who together emphasized national legislative advances marking one year since the promulgation of Law 47-25 on Public Procurement.
The officials pointed to Law 47-25, the Asset Forfeiture Law, and the new Penal Code as key legal milestones, stating that the Dominican Republic has established itself as an international benchmark in anti-corruption legislation.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, organized by the Center for Studies and Research of the General Directorate of Public Procurement, Abinader described Law 47-25 as one of the most important institutional achievements of recent years.
The president explained that the law establishes a new governance model for the National Public Procurement System designed to strengthen citizen trust, elevate the efficiency and value of public spending, expand market competition, and promote innovation.
Abinader added that the legislation introduces modern mechanisms for prevention, supervision, and sanctions to guarantee compliance, placing the Caribbean nation in alignment with international best practices in public contracting. He also praised the General Directorate of Public Procurement for receiving the United Nations Public Service Award 2026.
Preventive monitoring and public funds protected
Carlos Pimentel, director general of the General Directorate of Public Procurement, reported that agency management has focused on three core pillars: strengthening integrity and preventing corruption, driving technological innovation, and democratizing the public market to turn state purchasing into a mechanism for equity and development.
Pimentel stressed that transparency is not a marketing slogan or rhetorical ornament, but a daily practice that requires cross-checks, consequence regimes, data intelligence, and zero tolerance for impunity.
Presenting official figures, Pimentel noted a 56 percent increase in the State Suppliers Register, which expanded from 87,388 to 136,654 active suppliers. He attributed this growth to increased participation from micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises as well as independent professionals.
The director highlighted that timely interventions through preventive monitoring successfully protected more than 6.8 billion pesos (RD$6,800 million) in public assets.
Integration into the Electronic System of Public Procurement expanded by 121 percent, rising from 325 to 721 connected institutions. In the health sector, the number of hospitals transparently reporting acquisitions through the electronic platform grew from 19 to 176, marking an 826 percent increase.
Local governance oversight also expanded as 195 new municipalities and municipal districts joined the electronic system, representing a 414 percent increase aimed at strengthening transparency and control at the municipal level.
During the first semester of 2026, state entities formalised 39,621 contracts. Micro, small, and medium enterprises accounted for 37.53 percent of the total awarded value, while women-led businesses surpassed the mandatory 10 percent minimum threshold, and more than 62 percent of bids were submitted electronically. Pimentel affirmed that these results reflect a permanent transformation to embed integrity into public administration.
Warnings under the new legal framework
Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso addressed attendees during her presentation titled Towards an Integral Public Management: A Commitment to the Present and Future of the Dominican Republic.
Reynoso urged public officials, particularly those managing procurement processes, to act with absolute integrity and scrutinize every official document they sign. She cautioned that public servants do not receive gifts but bribes, calling ethical conduct a vital commitment to the nation.
The attorney general highlighted national legislative progress, citing the new Penal Code, Law 47-25, and the Asset Forfeiture Law. Reynoso stated that the Dominican Republic ranks among the most advanced Ibero-American countries in anti-corruption legislation, describing the new Penal Code as one of the most modern in the region with an unmatched enforcement regime.
The Dominican Republic, a nation in the Caribbean, has overhauled its public administration rules to curb corruption in state spending. The General Directorate of Public Procurement serves as the regulatory authority governing state purchases across government ministries, local councils, and public institutions.
The forum convened representatives from state purchasing units, local governments, regulatory bodies, the private sector, academic institutions, and civil society organizations. Participants gathered to analyze the structural changes introduced under Law 47-25, focusing on sanction regimes, preventive monitoring mechanisms, coordination between control and investigative organs, and citizen fiscal oversight.
