DR1 Daily News - Friday, 7 October 2016

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Medina visits flooded areas in Barahona
Floods could still affect five provinces
Miami flights cancelled for Hurricane Matthew
DGII to tax free zone industry dividends
Manufacturers protest new 9% ITBIS tax in 2017 budget
US$134 million increase in trade deficit
It?s all about jobs
Rehab center founder calls for more government support
Emergency landing at Las Americas
Cabify arrives in Santo Domingo
Nurse gets 10 years in jail for stealing baby
Guloya celebrates 25th anniversary
Arawak Drawing Festival
Los Tres Temores World back on stage



Medina visits flooded areas in Barahona
President Danilo Medina was in Barahona on Thursday, 6 October 2016 visiting several towns affected by flooding caused by the heavy rains that accompanied Hurricane Matthew?s passage across the island of Hispaniola. He visited the towns of Vicente Noble, Jaquimeyes and El Pe??n.

Administrative minister of the Presidency Jos? Ram?n Peralta reported that solutions would be found to channel the floodwaters. National Hydraulic Resources Institute (Indrhi) director Olgo Fern?ndez said that residents had planted crops in the Buringa stream area that interfered with the flow of the waters.

A 400-strong brigade was assigned to help with clean up and recovery work. In Vicente Noble heavy machinery sent by the Ministry of Public Works has been clearing the streets. Minister of Public Works Gonzalo Castillo said a permanent solution would be found to prevent future flooding. The Presidency Social Plan and the Comedores Economicos del Estado brought food rations for the affected families.

President Medina continued to Cabral, also in the southwestern region, where mayor Tomas Sanchez gave a preliminary report on the damage and requested the completion of several needed public works.

https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...oble-jaquimeyes-y-penon-afectados-por-matthew
http://tutilapia.listin.co/2016/10/1-de-3182-imprimir-todo-en-una-ventana.html


Floods could still affect five provinces
The Emergency Operations Center (COE) has announced yellow alerts for the provinces of Duarte (San Francisco de Macor?s), Pedernales, Barahona, Monte Plata and the Greater Santo Domingo where there is still a risk of flooding.

Green alerts were announced for Peravia (Ban?), Santiago Rodr?guez, San Crist?bal, San Juan de la Maguana, S?nchez Ram?rez (Cotu?), Montecristi, San Jos? de Ocoa and Hato Mayor also for flooding and landslides as a consequence of the effects of Hurricane Matthew after it crossed the island of Hispaniola.

In its Thursday, 6 October 2016 bulletin, the COE says that people staying in shelters and with friends and relatives had begun to return to their homes. The COE reports that 2,398 houses were affected, 18,904 people displaced to relatives and friends houses, 1,039 were staying at official shelters, 44 communities were cut off and three bridges were affected nationwide.

Restrictions on small boat use and water sports remain in place. More rains are forecast. The COE is advising members of the public against crossing rivers or streams with large volumes of water.

http://www.elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=501464
http://www.coe.gob.do


Miami flights cancelled for Hurricane Matthew
Flights from Dominican airports to Miami and Fort Lauderdale were suspended on Thursday, 6 October 2016. Flights to Haiti have resumed from La Isabela International Airport in northern Santo Domingo. Aerodom confirmed the cancellation of flights to Florida from Las Americas International in Santo Domingo and Gregorio Luper?n International in Puerto Plata.

The flight cancellations affect American Airlines to Miami and Spirit to Fort Lauderdale.


DGII to tax free zone industry dividends
The DGII has announced the start of taxation on dividends from free zones. The measure is part of agreements under the DR-CAFTA signed with the United States. The measure, which implements Law 253-12, will be in effect as of October 2016.

The measure establishes that the free zones need to declare, retain and pay 10% to the tax agency for the concept.


Manufacturers protest new 9% ITBIS tax in 2017 budget
Industry and business sector representatives in the Dominican Republic are calling on the government to eliminate taxes on raw materials. The tax is included in the 2017 National Budget and will be approved when the ruling PLD party passes the budget sent by the Presidency. Manufacturers say that the proposed 50% ITBIS tax on raw materials or 9% ITBIS, industrial machinery and capital goods would affect these companies.

As proposed, the tax would override tax incentives authorized by the ProIndustria Law for small and medium-sized industries, exporters and producers of tax-free goods.

Dominican Republic Industries Association president Campos de Moya and executive vice president Circe Almanzar said that the country?s juridical security, investment climate, production and national exports, and jobs are also at risk. They are advocating for legislators to eliminate the measure before passing the 2017 budget.

They appealed to President Danilo Medina to submit an amendment to the bill.

The AIRD says that Dominican companies will be at a major competitive disadvantage with imports coming from DR-CAFTA members that do not have to pay a similar tax in their countries. Circe Alm?nzar said this would lead to more local manufacturers leaving the country to depend on imports.

Alm?nzar says the new tax would be a ?big blow? to manufacturers.

Issachar Burgos, president of the Confederation of Small and Medium-sized Companies (Codopyme) said the measure would not increase government collections, but would affect the cash flow of small companies.

The Dominican Exporters Association also expressed concern about the measure proposed in the 2017 national budget bill that would charge 50% of ITBIS or 9% at present on imports of raw materials, machinery and capital goods used by manufacturers.

In a press release, Adoexpo president ?lvaro Sousa Sevilla says that the measure would eliminate the rational facility that currently allows manufacturers to pay the ITBIS at the end of the productive process. According to Adoexpo, this will affect export sector competitiveness and limit the cash flow of exporter companies, saying that it would strip their assets. In the Dominican Republic, companies need to pay the ITBIS tax before receiving the revenue from the sales.

http://www.elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=501457
http://hoy.com.do/aird-pide-eliminar-itbis-materias-primas-de-proyecto-presupuesto/


US$134 million increase in trade deficit
The first International Commerce Barometer (BCI) bulletin reports that the Dominican Republic?s trade balance deficit is at US$2.29 billion, up US$134 million compared to 2015. The quarterly bulletin is produced by the Pontificia Universidad Cat?lica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), as part of its Human Development Studies Program (PED) and Consulting Services and Research Office (OACI) divisions.

The increase in the deficit is attributed to a 1.5% drop in exports during the period, while imports increased 2.5%. The United States is the leading source market with 41.1%, followed by China with 13.1%, and Brazil with 5.3%.

The report was presented by OACI technical analyst and anthropologist Fernando Ferr?n.

http://www.diariolibre.com/economia...rcial-de-rd-aumento-us-134-millones-AJ5128662


It?s all about jobs
The Ministry of Higher Education and successive PLD governments have spent millions on funding scholarships for Dominicans to study abroad. But the sad story, as reported in El D?a, is that too many of the returning graduates with Masters degrees are not finding jobs. They are being told they are ?overqualified.?

El D?a reports that from 2005 to 2016, the Ministry of Higher Education (Mescyt) has awarded 17,013 international masters or doctoral scholarships and 1,615 undergraduate scholarships for study abroad. In the first year of the program, the Mescyt issued 403 scholarships. By 2016, this had increased to 2,424.

Most of the students study in Spain, the United States, Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, France, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. There are also scholarships to Germany, Sweden and even the Czech Republic.

Former Minister of Education Yvelisse Prats told El D?a that the problem is a surplus of young people looking for the few jobs that are available. She said the government has not created the conditions for enough decent jobs. She believes that the government should regulate the scholarships so they are in line with the present and future demands of the work market. She says the private and public sector should work together to create jobs.

http://eldia.com.do/568221-2/


Rehab center founder calls for more government support
The Dominican Rehabilitation Association (ADR) is celebrating its 53rd anniversary as the country?s pioneering physical rehabilitation institution. The ADR was founded by Mary P?rez de Marranzini whose son Celso Marranzini suffered from polio at an early age. She used what she learned to then establish the institute where other families could receive reasonably priced services for similar problems. The center is the leader in rehabilitation services in the country, offering low-cost quality services to hundreds of thousands of people with injuries and disabilities every year.

During a mass held to celebrate the anniversary, the ADR founder called on the government to increase its funding for the institute. She said that the ADR payroll was RD$35 million and that they offer 29 services. P?rez de Marranzini said that the government had promised an additional RD$70 million but has only provided RD$10 million this year.

According to ADR?s own records, it provided 722,598 services to patients between January and August 2016, a 12% increase. They saw a total of 38,015 new patients, up 5%. They also provided 15,330 free operations at the ADR network?s 26 nationwide centers.

The ADR also called for companies and government entities to provide better job opportunities for people with disabilities.

ADR is introducing early stimulation services at its centers in Constanza, Ban?, San Jos? de Ocoa, San Crist?bal, Jarabacoa, S?nchez, Bonao and Santiago. Psychological assistance is available at its centers in Jarabacoa, Dajab?n, Sos?a and El Seibo. Learning therapy and psychiatric therapy are on offer at the San Juan de la Maguana center. They have also reopened their orthopedic consultation services at the centers in La Romana and Bonao.

Since it opened in October 1963, the ADR has helped 1,001,197 people of all ages with disabilities and provided general services to 13,256,022 people.

The ADR now plans to expand at the centers in Las Palmas/Santo Domingo Oeste, Guerra, Azua and San Francisco de Macor?s. Work is also underway to provide services in Valverde Mao.

They also plan to offer services in Las Matas de Farf?n, Luper?n, Neiba, Rancho Arriba, Los Alcarrizos and Haina in 2017-2018.

The ADR has an agreement with Utica College in New York for professional certifications. The university is a leader in occupational therapy and physical therapy programs in the United States.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...rma-gobiernos-dan-poco-apoyo-a-rehabilitacion


Emergency landing at Las Americas
13 passengers and a three-man crew on board a Sky flight to Anguilla landed safely at Las Americas International Airport on Thursday, 6 October 2016 after circling for four hours as pilot Jos? Ernesto Rosario used up the fuel in order to reduce the risk of an emergency landing. The other crew members on board were M?ximo G?mez Pe?a, co-pilot, and flight attendant Pablo N??ez.

Shortly after takeoff, the pilots noticed the landing gear was not working properly and decided to return to the Las Americas terminal. The plane took off at 10:10am and finally landed at 2:10pm, as reported in Diario Libre.

The landing gear was not working. The airplane, BE-99, registry HI-950 belongs to the Sky High company. Two pilots, one flight attendant, seven adult passengers and four children were on board, according to the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC).

http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/201...s-bordo-aterriza-emergencia-las-americas.html
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...avion-aterrizara-a-salvo-en-el-aila-KI5129408


Cabify arrives in Santo Domingo
The Spanish taxi platform, Cabify is now available in Santo Domingo. It joins Uber and the local Apolo that have apps for booking ground transport online.

On Friday, 7 October 2016 the service will be free from 6am to 4am on Saturday for users who download the application and request the service to try it out.

Cabify charges according to distance, not by time, making it especially attractive during rush hour.

Cabify operates in Latin America, Spain and Portugal and offers two services, one for corporate passengers and another for private passengers.

https://cabify.com


Nurse gets 10 years in jail for stealing baby
A Santo Domingo Province court has imposed a 10-year jail sentence on a 57-year old nurse, Martha de los Santos Mercedes, who is accused of abducting an 11-day-old baby from the Hospital Materno Infantil San Lorenzo de Los Mina in Santo Domingo East on 22 February 2013. The court heard that when the baby?s mother went to the bathroom, the nurse offered to help her by taking care of the newborn baby. When the woman came out of the bathroom, the nurse and the baby were nowhere to be seen.

http://acento.com.do/2016/actualida...sion-enfermera-robo-bebe-maternidad-los-mina/


Guloya celebrates 25th anniversary
Teatro Guloya on Arzobispo Portes Street in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo is staging Pedro Calder?n de la Barca?s ?La vida es sue?o,? (Life is a Dream) on the conflict between free will and fate to celebrate the theater?s 25th anniversary. Guloya?s production of the classic Spanish play has received excellent reviews.

Friday, 7 October and Saturday, 8 October at 8:30pm. Sunday at 6:30pm. Admission: RD$500 at the door. Reservations: 809 685-4856.


Arawak Drawing Festival
Admire and purchase drawings by outstanding Dominican artists this Saturday, 8 October and Sunday, 9 October 2016 at the Galer?a de Arte Arawak at Calle Polibio D?az 11 in Evaristo Morales, Santo Domingo. Tel. 809 565-3614.*

Some 40 artists are participating in the festival, including emerging talents.

Now in its fourth year, the festival organized by the Fundacion de Arte Arawak is open to the general public from 11am to 7pm.

During the event, artists will be drawing and explaining their techniques and leading drawing workshops for adults and children. The artists have prepared small collections with 10 drawings in medium-sized formats for sale at attractive prices.


Los Tres Temores World back on stage
The comedy trio of Irving Alberti, Luis Jose Germ?n and Kenny Grull?n will be onstage at the Teatro La Fiesta of the Hotel Jaragua in Santo Domingo on 21 and 22 October 2016. They will be accompanied by 14 musicians. They promise a night of song, acting, singing, audiovisuals, music and all kinds of laughter-provoking commentaries. Tickets are for sale at Uepa Tickets online, and at Supermercados Nacional and Jumbo, VIP RD$2,000. General admission is RD$1,500 and RD$1,000 balcony.

https://www.facebook.com/teatroguloya/


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http://www.dr1.com/calendar


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