Sustainable DO consolidates transparency with new Citizen Oversight Commission
The DO Sostenible trust has taken a firm step toward institutionality and social participation with the official swearing-in of its new Citizen Oversight Commission. This body, created under Decree no. 498-26 by President Luis Abinader, has the primary mission of monitoring the proper management of solid waste and ensuring effective accountability to Dominican society.
The protocol ceremony was attended by the Ministers of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza, and of Finance and Economy, Magín Díaz, along with the executive director of DO Sostenible, Príamo Ramírez. The commission, which will perform its duties on an honorary basis, is composed of prominent figures: Alliet Ortega, Manuel García Arévalo, Giselle Pérez Reyes, Roberto Despradel Catrain, and Ruth de los Santos.
Significant advances in waste management
During the ceremony, the executive director of DO Sostenible, Príamo Ramírez, highlighted the positive impact that public policies have had on the sector. According to the data presented, the capacity for environmentally sound solid waste management in the country has experienced notable growth, going from just 7% in 2021 to nearly 40% today.
This increase is the result of a joint effort between the central government, local governments, and the private sector, managing to transform open-air dumps into modern infrastructure such as sanitary landfills and transfer stations, thus improving the quality of life in numerous communities.
Príamo Ramírez, Executive Director of DO Sostenible
Commitment to legality and state control
The Minister of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza, emphasized that the formation of this oversight team is a reflection of the constitutional principles of transparency and access to public information. The initiative is supported by a robust legal framework that includes:
- Law No. 200-04, on Free Access to Public Information.
- Law No. 28-23, on Public Trusts.
- Law No. 225-20, on Integral Management and Co-processing of Solid Waste.
It is important to highlight that the commission will operate in a consultative and honorary capacity. Its powers do not displace the functions of the Trust Council or the powers of the State’s oversight bodies, but rather act as a complementary mechanism to ensure efficiency and ethics in the administration of resources allocated for solid waste management in the Dominican Republic.
