School contractors keep pressure on MINERD for pending payments
The conflict between school contractors and the Ministry of Education (MINERD) has entered a defining stage following a recent series of protests. Cecilio Comprés, representative and spokesperson for this sector, reported that educational authorities are currently awaiting a response from the Comptroller General of the Republic to unlock the payment of bank interest claimed by the engineers.
Following a meeting held with MINERD officials, it was revealed that there is an official letter sent by Minister Luis Miguel De Camps to the Comptroller General, dated last July 8th, to which a formal response has not yet been received. The main objective of this effort is to find a way to settle the financial commitments carried over from the 2013-2014 periods.
Established commitments and deadlines
According to what was stated by Comprés, the Ministry of Education has committed to insistently manage a meeting with the Comptroller’s Office to seek a definitive solution. The spokesperson detailed the key points agreed upon after the demonstrations:
- A response is expected before next Friday regarding the meeting date with the Comptroller’s Office.
- The MINERD will provide a new list with at least 15 contractors so that the guild can verify the results of their files.
- Dialogue tables will be maintained with the legal department to address administrative claims linked to Law 6-86.
Before Friday they will give us an answer as to when they are going to meet with the comptroller to find a solution. If we do not see the vision that they are going to pay us, we are going to continue with our program of days of struggle.
Cecilio Comprés, spokesperson for the school contractors.
Historical claims
The sector, grouped in the Union of Collegiate Contractors of the MINERD (UCOCOMI), maintains that there are some 113 million pesos improperly withheld by the institution’s financial area. Those affected claim that these amounts correspond to bank interest and withholdings applied during the construction of educational centers more than a decade ago.
Comprés emphasized that, although the authorities have shown openness to dialogue, the guild’s patience is limited. If no significant progress is observed in the payment process by the end of this week, the contractors have warned that they will resume their national protest program, reaffirming that they will not rest until they obtain a satisfactory response to their economic claims accumulated across various administrations.
