Dominican school contractors demand return of withheld funds

School contractors in the Dominican Republic, organized under UCOCOMI, are demanding the return of funds they claim were irregularly withheld during school construction projects. The group is seeking the reimbursement of 1% retentions made under Law 6-86 (FOPETCONS), arguing that these payments should be the responsibility of the Ministry of Education (MINERD) rather than the contractors.

Additionally, contractors are requesting the reimbursement of bank interest generated by credit lines authorized by Banco de Reservas to fund school construction. The Ministry of Education stated it is currently awaiting a response from the Comptroller General regarding the interest claims. A communication was sent by the Minister of Education on July 8, but no response has been received.

Contractors have held protests and met with authorities to seek a resolution. While the Ministry has committed to coordinating a meeting with the Comptroller General to address the interest issue, the contractors also seek to resolve the Law 6-86 dispute through administrative channels within the Ministry's legal department.