Eficompras: The new era in the streamlining and transparency of public procurement in the Dominican Republic
The Director General of Public Procurement, Carlos Pimentel Florenzán, officially presented Eficompras, the first virtual store of the Dominican State. This technological tool arrives to radically transform the management of state acquisitions, optimizing operational times and safeguarding transparency in administrative processes.
During the launch event, presided over by President Luis Abinader at the National Palace, it was highlighted that this platform responds to a State vision focused on democratizing access to public procurement, eliminating bureaucratic hurdles and avoiding unnecessary intermediation in the acquisition of goods.
Today we mark a turning point in the history of public procurement in our country. Purchases that previously required several days of management can now be completed in a matter of minutes.
Carlos Pimentel, Director of Public Procurement.
Innovation against discretion
One of the fundamental pillars of Eficompras is equity. Pimentel explained that the platform combats the practice of recurring awards to specific suppliers through an anonymous and random submission system. By hiding the identity of bidders during the selection process, the margin for preference is minimized and fairer competition is guaranteed.
The impact of this measure is significant, considering that smaller purchases constitute approximately 69% of the total transactions registered in the Electronic Public Procurement System.
Key implementation details
- Mandatory nature: The use of Eficompras is mandatory for all State institutions, except for technical justification when the product is not available in the catalog.
- Support for MSMEs: The policy prioritizes the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises, with special emphasis on those led by women.
- Total transparency: Each purchase order will be publicly accessible, allowing citizens to audit everything from the offer to the closing of the contract.
- Continuous training: A virtual campus with technical assistance will be enabled to facilitate the adaptation of suppliers and purchasing units.
The regulation, established through Resolution 07-26, grants a 90-day transition period for institutions to complete their adaptation process. In this initial phase, the platform will operate exclusively with common-use goods, integrating services progressively in later stages.
