OECD Integrity Review of the Dominican Republic

Executive summary

While reforms have strengthened the Dominican Republic’s integrity and anti-corruption policies, regulatory and implementation gaps remain.

Integrity system

The Dominican Republic has established a legal and institutional integrity framework, but inter-institutional co-ordination remains largely informal. The Directorate General of Ethics and Government Integrity (DIGEIG) plays a central role yet, is established by decree and lacks statutory guarantees for independence. Efforts are required to foster an integrity culture across the public administration, including in municipalities.

Recommendations

• Establish a formal and permanent inter-institutional co-ordination platform and a national system of integrity led by the DIGEIG.

• Transform the Government Integrity and Regulatory Compliance Commissions within public entities into dedicated integrity units and provide support to reach local administrations.

• Develop a national integrity strategy to define strategic priorities and foster inter-institutional co-ordination.

Managing conflict of interest

The country has established integrity standards and procedures for public officials, including on conflict of interest. However, the conflict-of-interest framework relies on prohibitions, without obligations and comprehensive procedures for disclosing, managing and mitigating conflict of interest. Only a limited proportion of asset declarations is verified.

Recommendations

• Develop a comprehensive conflict-of-interest framework that defines key concepts and establishes obligations to declare and manage conflict of interest.

• Assign clear institutional responsibilities for conflict-of-interest management, including advice, guidance, monitoring and verification.

• Strengthen processes for submission, verification, inspection and control of asset declarations.

Culture of integrity in the public sector

Institutional integrity codes provide a foundation for promoting integrity in the public sector, but their adoption and implementation remain uneven. Challenges remain in ensuring the consistent application of merit-based principles and in safeguarding recruitment from undue influence in the civil service. Awareness-raising and training on integrity remains limited.

Recommendations

• Establish a Code of Integrity for public officials at the national and subnational government, based on a common set of public service values.

• Strengthen the career-based civil service as a foundation for integrity and develop a centralised human resource management information system to monitor compliance with merit-based recruitment.

• Develop a leadership training programme for public managers and establish a network for peer learning and exchange.

Transparency and access to information

Transparency and access to information have significantly improved. However, challenges persist in compliance, response times, disclosed information quality and data interoperability. There is no independent oversight body to review appeals. Proactive transparency remains limited, as many institutions rely on reactive disclosure rather than systematically publishing key information.

Recommendations

• Strengthen access to information by establishing “open by default” principles, improving the framework for exceptions and appeals, and ensuring independent oversight.

• Consolidate the Single Portal for Requesting Access to Public Information by ensuring its full adoption across public institutions, improving data quality and strengthening monitoring.

• Integrate transparency, open data and access-to-information platforms to improve accessibility, interoperability and accountability.

Whole of society

The country has taken steps to promote a whole-of-society approach to integrity and foster a shared responsibility for building a culture of integrity. However, tolerance of corruption and clientelism remains widespread and deeply rooted, while, on average, less than half of the population expresses trust in public institutions. Only limited evidence is available on business integrity practices, needs and challenges.

Recommendations

• Strengthen integrity education by expanding the content of the “Ethics and Citizenship” core competency of the National Curriculum and by developing tailored learning materials and extracurricular activities.

• Launch a national awareness-raising campaign to encourage a whole-of-society commitment to integrity.

• Collect more evidence on business integrity practices and related challenges.

Risk management and auditing

The National Control and Oversight System, led by the Court of Accounts, with internal control and audit co-ordinated by the Comptroller General, provides opportunities to strengthen audit effectiveness and trust. Challenges remain in embedding integrity risk management, clarifying institutional responsibilities and improving co-ordination. Awareness of the role and value of internal audit remains limited amongst public managers.

Recommendations

• Adapt a common methodological framework for integrity risk management to ensure consistent identification, prioritisation and updating of integrity risks across public institutions.

• Strengthen the communication and use of internal audits by senior public management.

• Continue strengthening the Court of Accounts, for instance, by elaborating a digital transformation strategy to enable more timely, efficient and transparent audits.

Whistleblowing, investigations and sanctions

Mechanisms for reporting wrongdoing exist but remain fragmented with limited whistleblower protection. Multiple institutions are receiving reports and investigating integrity violations, but co-ordination remains incipient. The disciplinary framework lacks clear and consistent rules and procedures for investigating and sanctioning integrity violations.

Recommendations

• Develop a comprehensive whistleblowing framework that ensures confidentiality, anonymous reporting, protection against retaliation, and clear reporting procedures across the public sector.

• Adopt a common framework for disciplinary investigation and sanctions for integrity violations, while strengthening procedural safeguards and the professionalism of responsible public officials.

• Strengthen formal co-ordination among investigative and enforcement bodies through a dedicated inter-institutional working group and strengthen data collection on integrity breaches cases.

Lobbying and influence activities

There is no comprehensive framework to ensure transparency and integrity in lobbying and influence activities. Engagement between public authorities and stakeholders is essential for democracy, but the absence of clear rules, transparency and integrity safeguards creates risks of undue influence, unequal access to decision makers and reduced public trust.

Recommendations

• Establish a lobbying framework through primary legislation that defines lobbying activities and covered actors, introduces a mandatory lobbying register and strengthens transparency.

• Strengthen integrity safeguards by clarifying standards of conduct for lobbyists and public officials, complemented by guidance, training and targeted measures to manage lobbying-related risks.

• Ensure effective implementation and oversight by designating an independent oversight body with adequate investigative and enforcement powers, establishing proportionate sanctions for non-compliance, and requiring regular reviews of the regulatory framework.

Political financing

The country has established a comprehensive political finance framework, but important implementation gaps remain. Financial reporting remains incomplete and insufficiently verified, while limited enforcement and practices such as vote-buying undermine transparency, accountability and trust.

Recommendations

• Establish more proportional public funding and introduce fixed ceilings on individual donations.

• Strengthen transparency and oversight through standardised and timely financial disclosures, enhanced auditing and verification capacities, and improved digital reporting.

• Strengthen sanctions for violations of political finance rules and the Central Electoral Board's investigative and auditing powers and introduce measures against vote-buying.