The Sustainability Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR) organized a virtual panel to analyze the role of ethics as a foundation for sustainable development.
The event featured presentations by Carlos Pimentel, Director General of Public Procurement, who spoke on "Ethics and Transparency in Public Management and the State-Business Relationship," and Roberto de Michele, senior specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), who addressed the topic "Ethics and Transparency from the Private Sector Perspective."
In his opening remarks at the event, William Malamud, Executive Vice President of AMCHAMDR, stated that businesses and governments must redouble their efforts to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals as a roadmap for achieving economic, social, and environmental development.
“It's not enough to overcome the global crisis impacting us; this recovery requires maintaining a balance between economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. Embracing sustainable development, supported by the 2030 Agenda, as a key path forward, constitutes a recovery strategy that will undoubtedly lead us toward a comprehensive transformation for the benefit of all,” Malamud stated.
Meanwhile, Josefina Navarro, president of the Sustainability Committee, stated that ethics has become the backbone of sustainability, not only from the perspective of the government's role but also from the perspective of private practice.
"Without ethical companies, there is no good society, so this value must be integrated into sustainable management, which in turn impacts the environmental, social, and economic spheres," Navarro emphasized.
During his presentation, Carlos Pimentel emphasized the need for businesses and the state to work together to ensure sustainable development and build a system based on ethics, transparency, and integrity.
"Without ethics, there is no business. A company without clear ethical commitments is untrustworthy. That's why it's important to develop values such as transparency, integrity, and participation in public management and business-state relations," he stated.
He highlighted the work being done by the General Directorate of Purchasing and Contracting to implement programs that integrate practices and policies leading to more efficient, streamlined purchasing processes that comply with established standards. These programs include the Regulatory Compliance Program and the approval of the Code of Ethical Procurement Guidelines.
Meanwhile, Roberto de Michele emphasized that corruption, a lack of integrity, and transparency reduce the Dominican Republic's competitiveness, raise the costs of public investment, and discourage private investment.
De Michele said that the Inter-American Development Bank is collaborating with the Dominican public sector to build greater trust, increase transparency, and improve regulations and institutional capacity.
"At the IDB, we advocate for strengthening democratic governance and creating a positive business climate for private investment in these countries through transparency and institutional quality," he emphasized.
The AMCHAMDR Talks "Ethics as a Foundation for Sustainable Development" was made possible thanks to the sponsorship of the companies that make up the AMCHAMDR Elite Circle: AES Dominicana, Barrick Pueblo Viejo, Cervecería Nacional Dominicana, Citi, HIT Puerto Río Haina, Humano Seguros, Inicia, Martí, Grupo Rica, Grupo SID, and Squire Patton Boggs. It also had the support of Banreservas, Banco Popular, Banco BHD León, Banco Ademi, IQ Tek, DP World, and Ege Haina.
