The Dominican Republicwith a series of shipyards state-owned and an enviable geographical position, has missed the opportunity to become a regional center for repair and construction of boats commercial and private.
Leased to private companies or in the hands of the Navythese facilities remain disconnected from the government’s bid to turn the country into a hub logistical. In this context, Daily Bookand requested the Dominican Port Authority (Apordom) to forward the contracts of lease of three of the shipyards operating in the country, to determine their behavior and the possible reasons for the poor development.
After an intense fight to get them, in which even President Luis Abinader himself had to intervene, three contracts of lease were handed over to Free Newspaper and in them you can observe a relationship of debts mutuals and unhealthy payments.
Two of the contracts
In two of the contractssigned during the current administration of Jean Luis Rodríguez at the head of the Apordomthe State transfers part of the monthly payments it must make to the beneficiary companies, so that they can discount the investment made or to be made in the property they use.
In the case of the contract between the Navy of Dominican Republic with Shipyards Navales Bay of the Calderas (Anabalca), Ciramar SA, there is a history of agreements and disagreements that led the Chamber of Accounts to determine, on one occasion, that the Dominican State was being defrauded. That contract was sent directly by the Navy and it predates this government much further.
In two of the cases, the rent is about 100,000 pesos per month, but it is not always paid on time, according to the content of the agreements, as well as the testimony of actors in the area.
100,000
The monthly rent in pesos paid by two of the contracted companies.
One of the leases is with the company M & D Marine Repair, SA, which operates the Ozama River dam and whose contract, dating from May 2023, was signed by Rodríguez, for the Apordomand Carlos Dax Antonio Díaz Brea, for the company. The contracts subscribed by this management have the authorization and instruction of the Board of Directors of Apordom.
Marine Repair must pay 64.66 pesos per square meter, which amounts to 132,975 pesos per month. The amount can be adjusted annually, according to the consumer price index.
According to the preambles in the agreement, the company could not benefit from the lease which had been in place since April 2009, due to opposition from the Ministry of Tourism, which intended to develop a rehabilitation project in the Port of Barahona.
That year, social, cultural, business, religious and political organizations in Barahona also expressed opposition to the shipyard, because it would affect the “beautiful blue cove of the city.”
15,850
The square meters ceded by the Navy to the company Inadon.
In the new agreement, Apordom recognizes a debt net of amortizations of 3,179,808 pesos with the company, due to credits and investments prior to the current administration, and this, in turn, admits liabilities for 2.7 million pesos in favor of the institution, for “pending invoices” from June 2020 to March 2023.
The parties agreed that half of the latter amount would be discounted from the first. The remaining 50% would be paid to the Apordom through monthly installments of 113,632 in the period between May 2023 and May 2024.
But as Marine Repair would still maintain a credit with the Apordom of 1,816,222 pesos, this would be amortized through monthly discounts applied to the value of the lease for 50% of the 113,632 pesos. It is also established that in addition to the price of the lease M&D must pay all applicable port services.
Story of… scam?
In the case of the contract of the Navy with Anabalca, Ciramar, Ciramar International Trading, Internacional Paint and Nadelca C. por A., for the lease of the shipyard that operates in Bahía de las Calderas, in Baní, the last amendment was made on May 21, 2014, but the agreements date back to 1991.
By that date, the administration and operation of the floating dock DF-1 was handed over to Anabalca and in 2003 it moved to lease to Ciramar International for the installation of another dam with a capacity to lift 7,220 tons.
Although in the document that was sent by the Navy This media has no details of the terms of that agreement, but the national press has reported the information published in 2005 by the Chamber of Accounts, which indicated that, after an investigation, it was determined that the State was deceived of some 232 million pesos by the aforementioned companies.
3
Lease contracts obtained by Diario Libre.
10
The years of contract given to Elos Marine.
He indicated that when it was established Anabalcathe Navy acted on behalf of the State together with national and foreign companies, but was later not included in the shareholding.
He pointed out that, in the contract of lease signed in 1999, it was established that 40% of the net profits from operations would go to the Navyand that 20% would be allocated to the repair of the facilities of Anabalcamanaged through a Banco de Reservas account, but said account was never created and the profits remained in the hands of the shareholders.
Already in 2008, the Navy rents to Ciramarfor a period of 20 years with automatic renewal, the DF-1, a marine elevator and other equipment, for a monthly cost of 30,000 dollars. But if the company built ships or other boatswould also have to hand over 5% of the value of these operations.
They also agreed that the initial repair costs for the leased property would come from the reserve fund, which at that time was 9.8 million.
However, in the addendum dated May 21, 2014, it was agreed to nullify a previous agreement from 2012, a separation of the assets owned by each of the parties was made, and the rent was increased to $80,000 per month.
Of these, $35,000 would be delivered in check to the General Intendancy of the Navy. Of these, 14,000 would be a credit applied monthly in favor of the companies, to be used to pay for repair and maintenance work on the boats of the Navy. Another $31,000 would be deducted monthly from a debt of 23 million pesos that the Navy with the company.
The duration of the contract was then set at 30 years, until 2038.
50% retention for adjustments
The Apordom also reached an agreement in May 2023 with Dominican Naval Industries (Inadon) to which it cedes 15,850 square meters of land on the coast of Andrés, Boca Chica, also at a cost of 64.66 pesos per meter, which per month amounts to 1,024,861 pesos.
The company must make an initial deposit of 2,049,722 pesos, which will be returned 30 days after the contract ends. The document states that, given that Inadon had to make adjustments and move state offices within the ceded area, an amortization would be made on 50% of the monthly payment of the lease.
The parties agreed that the boats that arrive for repair, maintenance or construction purposes, through the services offered Inadonor those who use the floating dock facilities at Pier 3, must pay a fee of $500 for the entry of vessels and $500 for the exit, plus the pilotage service.
“The first party acknowledges that it will not receive any additional fees, charges or royalties from the second party or from the clients who receive the latter’s services, beyond the payments for rental and repair or dockage services contemplated in this contract,” it says.
The contract, signed by Rodríguez and Francisco Lage Rodríguez, has a duration of 10 years and will be automatically renewed for another 10, if the company fulfills all its obligations.
Taxes included
The third contract that was awarded by the Apordom data from April 2017 with maturity in 2027, signed during the management of Victor Gomez Casanova with Elos MarineSRL, represented by Loris Colombo Lagrange, as general manager.
The parties agree to the lease of 3,277 square meters and a dock area of 999.22 square meters in the Port of Boca Chica, at a cost of 106,920 pesos per month, plus a non-refundable two-month deposit. The new price more than doubles the previous one, of 26 pesos per square meter.
Elos Marine agrees to pay several fees: 10% of the total invoice for assembly, 5% for fuel supply for use of boats25% for use of crane for pulling and removal, 15% for repair and maintenance of boats and the “charge for the boats of pleasure per stay in each movement of pulling and withdrawing each boat per foot of length.
As in the previous case, it is established for 10 renewable years, but always subject to approval by the Board of Directors of Apordom.
Commenting on the agreement, Casanova said that the company had to pay all the debts that was pending with the institution, prior to signing the new contract.
