It has been a constant in the government of President Luis Abinader to appoint the same official for several institutions or responsibilities. This Wednesday, Carlos Pimentel, director of Public Procurement, received a new assignment, he will also serve as director of Public-Private Partnerships.
The executive indicated that with this new appointment for Pimentel he seeks to continue making more efficient and strengthening transparency in contracting processes under the public-private alliance model. Decree 614-24, which appoints him, indicates that Pimentel will receive a salary as director of Public-Private Partnerships and will honorably direct Public Contracting.
In addition to Pimentel, the officials with a dual role are: Juan Manuel Méndez, Bartolomé Pujals, Celso Marranzini, Quico Tabar and the most appointed, Vice President Raquel Peña. They hold various positions in the administration, but only receive a salary, since their additional functions are performed honorably.
Raquel Pena
The Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, is the official to whom the President has entrusted, in addition to her elective position, more functions. She coordinated the Health Cabinet during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Electrical Cabinet in 2022 and the Investment and Innovation Cabinet in 2021. In addition, after the assassination of the Minister of the Environment, Orlando Jorge Mera, in 2022 she was minister interim of that organization.
Her most recent appointment was coordinator of the Education Cabinet.
Quico Tabar
President Luis Abinader appointed Teófilo -Quico- Tabar as general administrator of the National Lottery in the midst of the scandal in which this institution was involved due to a case of fraud. A few months later, the president issued another decree, making him the director of Casinos and Gaming of the Ministry of Finance.
In addition, Abinader delegated to him the coordination and direction of the regularization process of lottery banks in the country.
Juan Manuel Mendez
General Juan Manuel Méndez is known for his almost 20 interrupted years as director of the Emergency Operations Center (COE).
He received his honorable retirement during the government of Danilo Medina, however, with the arrival of the administration of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), Abinader wanted him to remain at the head of the COE and he has remained that way.
However, in 2022 Abinader appointed him director of Medical Emergencies, the institution that has control of all ambulance units, paramedical, administrative and operational personnel belonging to the Directorate of Medical Emergencies of the National Health Service.
Upon receiving these positions, Méndez renounced his salary as head to keep his pension active for his years of service in the State.
Celso Marranzini
In the Abinader government, Celso Marranzini He is executive vice president of the Board of Directors of the Electric Generation Company Catalina Point, vice president of the Electrical Cabinet and president of the Unified Council of Electricity Distribution Companies (CUED).
He CUED was created by the president Abinader as part of the process of dissolution of the Dominican Corporation of State Electrical Companies (CDEEE), as well as the boards of directors of Edenorte, Edesur and Edeeste, so that a single body is in charge of its operations.
Bartolome Pujals
First, Bartolomé Pujals was appointed executive director of the Digital Innovation and Development Cabinet in 2021, then general director of the Government Office of Information and Communication Technologies (Ogtic), he holds both positions.
Randolfo Rijo
The colonel Randolfo Rijo He is the director of the 911 Emergency System, however, in November of last year, in addition to these functions, he became responsible for interim manner the management of the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (Intrant), after the case of alleged corruption with the contract for the management of traffic lights in Greater Santo Domingo was highlighted during the management of the current preventive prisoner, Hugo Beras.
He stopped directing Intrant in August of this year when Abinader appointed Milton Morrison.
Jean Luis RodrÃguez
Jean Luis RodrÃguez is he director of the Dominican Port Authority (Apordom) since August 2020but in October 2022, he received a new task as director of the General Coordinating Office of the RD-Vial Trustas an honorary title.
The Public Service Law 41-08 in its article 80, paragraph 5, establishes that it is prohibited for an official to hold more than one position in the administration. The exception to this rule is that the additional functions are teaching, cultural, research or honorary in nature. These are not affected by legal incompatibility.
“The acceptance of a second public position incompatible with the one being held implies the automatic resignation of the first without detriment to the corresponding responsibility,” reads part of the article.
