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Contralora proposes government-wide digital contracts platform, says office will fund rollout
Summary
The Office of the Comptroller endorsed Proyecto de la Cámara 1264 — a uniform digital platform to create, sign and register government contracts — saying the office will fund development, provide training, and pilots could start with 10–20 agencies and 15–20 municipalities; implementation was estimated at about $3 million and a target operational window around mid-2027 was discussed.
Carmen Vega, Contralora de Puerto Rico, told the Comisión de Gobierno that her office supports Proyecto de la Cámara 1264 and will build and finance a government-wide digital contracts platform to improve transparency and reduce registration errors.
Vega said the platform would present standardized templates and mandatory clauses while allowing agencies to add annexes and tailor contract text. Users would fill key fields (party name, amount, term), sign digitally, and receive an automatic registration number, improving traceability compared with the current manual PDF-based process.
The measure, Vega said, is intended to modernize public procurement by reducing typographical and numeric errors that leave records in 'reparo' and by making contracts easier for the public to find. She told the committee that the registry currently contains roughly 40,000 entries flagged for correction that have accumulated over many years and that the platform would eliminate the recurring errors that cause those backlogs.
Vega said the Contraloría would cover development costs and provide training to agencies and municipalities; she estimated total implementation at about $3 million. The office plans an RFP already in preparation and discussed a pilot with 10–20 agencies and 15–20 municipalities. On schedule, Vega suggested an aspirational operational target around mid-2027.
Committee members asked how the platform would affect municipal autonomy and existing procurement systems. Vega answered that agencies and municipalities would retain control of contract drafting and choice of contractors; the platform only standardizes and automates registration. She also said the office is coordinating with central financial and registration systems (Hacienda, Departamento de Estado and others) and has cybersecurity specialists to seek insurance coverage before deployment.
The hearing produced no formal vote. The Contralora said the office will continue to develop the RFP and coordinate interagency integration and training if the legislature approves the bill.
