The stench of corruption in the Dominican government

go through Time Domain Network Wireline staff
April 25, 2016 at 10:32 AM

The proposed $18.2 million Roseau West Bridge project.

Roseau, Dominica (TDN)
For years, the Dominican government has been portrayed as one of the most corrupt regimes in the Eastern Caribbean, and they continue to live up to that reputation. In the past few days, it was revealed that the largest public works project in the aftermath of Hurricane Erika was completed without an open tender, in direct violation of the country’s procurement laws. Worse still, the project was awarded to a Barbadian company, quietly bypassing a local engineering firm that was fully capable of completing the required works. Everything about the awarding of this contract smacked of corruption. The government completely ignored its own guidelines for awarding such projects. Most observers believe the price tag is wildly inflated and question why an estimated 176-foot bridge, 300 feet of river levee, and some river dredging would cost EC$18.2 million ($6.7 million). Beyond the inflated costs, another obvious question is who is behind this company and whether government officials involved in such blatant corruption stand to benefit financially from awarding this contract. Days after the December 2014 general election, Barbadian political consultant Hartley Henry, who was part of a long line of Barbadian consultants, triumphantly announced that the Dominican election had given the Barbadian economy a huge boost. By Hartley’s own calculations, millions of dollars had been spent on Barbadian consultants, travel agents, and printing and advertising services. Now, with the recent scandal coming to light, questions are being raised as to whether this was further payback to these consultants for helping to effectively steal the election results. It turns out that the company NSG Barbados Ltd had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Skerrit regime months before the December 2014 election. In addition, they had conducted a study that recommended improvements to Roseau. Now, less than two years after the election, they have suddenly reappeared with a lucrative no-bid project that will undoubtedly come at the expense of the Dominican public, who are increasingly concerned about the government’s decision to move high-paying jobs overseas at the expense of poor, unemployed people back home. A ceremony billed as a groundbreaking attracted fewer than a hundred people, despite seating for more than 400. One thing is clear: international financing institutions will not take this development lightly. They will be even less willing to lend to the government if it continues to show a tendency to bend the rules and line its own pockets.

In fact, political observers point to a recent sharp drop in government grants of more than 80 percent, as potential donors grow wary of the corrupt regime. Meanwhile, the country continues to be in turmoil, with unemployment and poverty rates rising.