On Wednesday, the Government initiated the process to convert the Oficina Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses (OMSA) into a public company, which will allow it to operate as a decentralized entity, and implement a commercial vision, with greater efficiency in the service, without ceasing to be an asset owned by the Dominican State.
In this way, the Board of Directors of OMSA was formed, which will be chaired by the Minister of the Presidency, Joel Santos Echavarría, who will be accompanied by the Minister of Public Administration, Darío Castillo and the Director of OMSA, Radhamés González.
The start of this process took place during the seminar “Reform of the OMSA as a Public Company”, held this Wednesday in a hotel in the capital, where it was established that the general director of the OMSA, Radhamés González, will become the executive vice-president and will act as the general administrator of the company. The council will also be integrated by the ministers of Finance, Jochi Vicente, and of Public Works, Deligne Ascensión.
In addressing the issue, the Minister of the Presidency, Joel Santos Echavarría, defined it as a very important step forward, due to the fact that, as a public company, OMSA will be able to be more efficient, operate as a decentralized entity, which will be able to implement a commercial vision, although always as a patrimony owned by the Dominican State.
“OMSA is part of this process of the Integrated Transportation System, through which the population will be offered a satisfactory experience in terms of urban mobility, with an offer made up of cable cars, metros, monorail, trains and road corridors”, he said.
He emphasized that, once this process is concluded and in accordance with Law 479-08 General Law of Commercial Companies and Individual Enterprises, OMSA will have legal status, its own assets and capacity to contract commercial and contractual obligations, in accordance with its own management and control mechanism.
“What we are witnessing is an important decision in the process of changing urban mobility in the Dominican Republic, and a step forward that will clearly and transparently benefit the users of the services offered through this official entity,” said Santos Echavarría.
The Minister of Public Administration, Darío Castillo Lugo, explained the importance of exchanging information and experiences in order to achieve the transformation of the institution.
He indicated that the objective of the seminar was for the present speakers to explain how OMSA is changing in an administrative, organizational and functional way, once it is established as a public company.
Meanwhile, the director of the OMSA, Radhamés González, thanked the speakers for shedding light on this process and reaffirmed his commitment to this transformation of the institution.
The meeting reviewed the organic, administrative, legal and functional impact of the reform or conversion of OMSA into a public company. The operational differences of the reform were also established, in the management of the systems and operations of planning, budgeting, purchasing and contracting, public accounting and internal control.
The activity also identified the regulatory and labor relations basis of the new OMSA, a subject which was discussed by the technical coordinator of the Legal Consultancy of the Executive Branch, Rolkin Jiménez.
OMSA Reform
Article 356 of Law 63-17 establishes the reform of the OMSA and it is for this reason that last April 25, President Luis Abinader issued Decree 167-23, which establishes the criteria for the transformation of the Oficina Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses (OMSA) into a public company, under the name of Operadora Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses (OMSA).
The governmental provision stipulates that once the reform is completed, the OMSA will be attached to the Ministry of the Presidency.
Source: presidencia.gov.do
