The National Council of Merchants and Entrepreneurs of the Dominican Republic (conacerd) requested the General Director of Ethics and Integrity (Digeig), Milagros Ortiz Boschto be “more energetic” with public officials, in terms of the application of General Law 200-04, Free Access to Public Information.
Antonio Cruz Rojas, president of the entity, said that Ortiz Bosch, in his capacity as adviser to the Executive power In terms of ethics and transparency, it is their duty to instruct all ministries to support anti-corruption initiatives, which in their opinion, President Luis Rodolfo Abinader exhibits.
According to the Red Cross, the head of Digeig must include in her work agenda, request to all the ministries the start-up of their offices of free access to informationaccording to Law 200-04, because “we have not been able to obtain statistics that say how many offices are ready and how many are not”.
The Conacerd affirmed that it launched the institution’s code of ethics, which contemplates its values, transparency, equity and justice. Likewise, from the Ethics Department of the entity, a reference law researchwhich in its article 30 stipulates criminal and administrative sanctions, impediment or obstruction of access to information.
The same article reads as follows: “The public official or responsible agent who openly denies, obstructs or prevents the applicant’s access to the required information, will be sanctioned with a custodial sentence of six months to two years in prison, as well as with disqualification from holding public office for five years.