DR1 Daily News - Wednesday, 12 October 2016

Dolores1

DR1
May 3, 2000
8,215
37
48
www.
Dominican aid arrives in Haiti
Ministry of Foreign Relations focuses on promoting trade
Public servants paid more than President – against the law
Transport companies protest end of subsidies
Dominican Republic “moderate” in Hunger index
Girls facing challenges
Medicine needed for cancer patients
Lots and lots of betting parlors
Caama?o Velez family link Arias Valera to murder
Drug arrests in the southwest
Drug arrests in the capital
Woman caught smuggling quarter of a million dollars
US man sent to pre-trial detention
Night of the Jackal in Manoguayabo
Ram?n Orlando and Pochy Familia at Hard Rock Live



Dominican aid arrives in Haiti
A Dominican delegation headed by the Minister of Public Works Gonzalo Castillo arrived in Haiti on Tuesday, 11 October 2016 to coordinate aid deliveries from the Dominican Republic at the instructions of President Danilo Medina, in response to the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew.

According to the Ministry, Castillo met with the Haitian authorities and announced that technicians from the Ministry and the Dominican Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE) were beginning to assess electricity generation and transmission needs in Haiti.

They will also begin reconstruction work on the roads and electricity network repairs in the southern part of the country on Saturday.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...llega-a-haiti-para-coordinar-entrega-de-ayuda
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/11/americas/haiti-dominican-republic-visual-explainer/


Ministry of Foreign Relations focuses on promoting trade
Minister of Foreign Relations Miguel Vargas Maldonado has announced a new program to train foreign service staff on trade matters so they are better equipped to promote exports. He said that Dominican missions needed to serve as a platform for promoting exports on behalf of the country’s commercial, industrial and business sectors.

The Dominican Republic is a signatory of several trade agreements – DR-CAFTA in 2006, EPA in 2008 and Caricom in 1998.

Vargas said the Ministry is designing a program together with the Center for Export & Investments (CEI-RD).

He made the announcement when speaking at a luncheon event organized by the Dominican Association of Exporters (Adoexpo) on Tuesday, 11 October 2016.


Public servants paid more than President – against the law
Article 5, section 6 of the Law of Salary Regulation 105-13 states that “No public servant of the Dominican state should receive a salary that is higher than the head of the state…”
However, many public servants are earning more that the President, who currently receives a salary of RD$450,000 a month.

Topping the list is the Governor of the Central Bank with a monthly salary of RD$1,146,045, not much less the President of the United States who earns the equivalent of RD$1,528,007 per month. Also at the Central Bank, the Deputy Governor earns RD$1,033,970, the manager RD$918,070 and RD$712,905 for the Deputy manager. Some directors are earning RD$483,900 each.

The director general of the Tax Office (DGII) earns a monthly salary of RD$559,600, the Banking Superintendent makes RD$999,970, the Insurance Superintendent RD$800,000, and the Superintendent of Securities, RD$700,000.

The Electricity Superintendent earns RD$596,546 a month and the head of Customs is paid RD$630,919.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/las-funciones-publicas-que-ganan-mas-que-el-presidente-MK5158952


Transport companies protest end of subsidies
Transport companies – Mochotran, Conatra, Fenatrano, Fenatrado, CNTT, Fenttareno, Fentrauni, Codotatur – all of which have enjoyed generous government subsidies for many years are accusing the government of trying to deprive them of their route monopolies in order to replace them with a Single Transport Authority (Autoridad Unica del Transporte) in complicity with the National Business Council (Conep).

The transport companies say they will announce an increase in fares and tariffs for passenger and cargo transport next week in response to the lifting of the fuel subsidies. Fares could increase by 10-15 pesos in the cities and 25-30 pesos for inter-urban transport.

Fenatrano leader Juan Hubieres says that Conep wants to shatter the country’s social stability and order in complicity with Minister of Industry and Commerce, Tem?stocles Mont?s. He said that Conep has asked the government use the military, police and other law enforcement bodies to confront the transport association members.

Conatra president Antonio Marte said that Mont?s has not met with them to give an official explanation and the director of the Technical Ground Transport Office (OTTT) H?ctor Mojica is not taking their telephone calls.

http://www.elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=502198


Dominican Republic “moderate” in Hunger index
According to the Global Hunger Index launched in Berlin on Tuesday 11 October 2016, worldwide hunger levels are still high despite the progress made since 2000. The report was prepared by the NGOs Welt Hunger Hilfe (Global Hunger Help) and Concern Worldwide, and the Food Policy Studies Institute.

The report says that hunger levels in developing countries have decreased by 29% since 2000, but at least 795 million people worldwide are still hungry.

Progress has not been equal in all areas and according to the UN Adviser on 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, David Nabarro, it is important to establish the differences even within a country to identify the worst affected areas.

The Global Hunger Index uses four parameters: The percentage of the population that does not receive sufficient calories, children with a weight lower than they should have for their age, children under the age of five who are underweight and the infant mortality rate.

Hunger levels in 50 countries are a cause for concern. In Latin America, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay are “moderate” according to the index and the rest are “low”.

The Dominican Republic is listed with a 12.4% proportion of undernourished in the population and of and 2.4% prevalence of wasting in children under five years, 7.1% prevalence of stunting in children under five years, 3.1% under five mortality rate, for an overall 11.1 score. Haiti’s numbers are respectively, 53.4%, 5.2%, 21.9%, 6.9, and overall 36.9 score.

See the study at: http://ghi.ifpri.org

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...-el-mundo-sigue-siendo-alto-en-rd-es-moderado


Girls facing challenges
The International Day of the Girl Child was commemorated on Tuesday 11 October 2016. An NGO that works against drug addiction, Casa Abierta, used the occasion to express concern about the situation affecting young girls in the Dominican Republic, which has the highest percentage of underage girls who are married, cohabitating and/or pregnant in the whole of Latin America.

Casa Abierta warned that the challenges faced by girls must be addressed, especially for girls who experience violence in the home, which leads to psychological problems and depression.

http://elnacional.com.do/deplora-alta-tasa-de-embarazos-jovenes/


Medicine needed for cancer patients
The director of the Rosa Emilia Sanchez Perez de Tavares National Cancer Institute (INCART) is stressing the need for cancer patients to have better access to medicine, treatment and tests.

Dr. Catalina Gonzalez appealed to the Dominican Social Security System to help improve this situation as the Health Risks Administrators (ARS) are not providing adequate coverage and many cancer patients are dying for lack of access to treatment and medicines.

She said that the medicines and procedures were expensive and some equipment cost US$20,000 every two months. She added that INCART has to subsidize more than 70% due to lack of insurance coverage.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...ceso-a-medicamentos-para-pacientes-con-cancer


Lots and lots of betting parlors
According to the executive director of the National Federation of Betting Parlors (Fenabanca), Michel Dicent more than 100,000 betting parlors in the Dominican Republic are operating illegally. This is more than three times the number of the 30,750 authorized betting parlors.

Dicent met with the new Attorney General, Jean Alain Rodriguez, on Tuesday, 11 October 2016 to brief him on the situation.

http://acento.com.do/2016/actualidad/8390793-fenabanca-dice-rd-operan-mas-100-mil-bancas-ilegales/


Caama?o Velez family link Arias Valera to murder
Relatives of the late Claudio Francisco Caama?o V?lez, who was murdered on 12 March 2012, are claiming that the murderers are linked to the criminal network associated with former Judicial Branch counselor, Francisco Arias Valera.

They say that police sergeant Luis Confesor Mart?nez Arias, who is linked to the young man’s murder, belongs to a mafia-style network. “The sergeant belongs to a criminal structure headed by the judge, who among other things carried out contract killing,” they stated, as reported in Acento.com

Several elements point to the high levels of protection that Mart?nez Arias enjoys, such as his transfer from the Ban? jail to the Police Special Operations Center, they pointed out. They criticized the fact that Mart?nez Arias was transferred without informing the court and was removed from the case file.

They also claim to have received information that the former judge and the accused were related, and that both come from the same community, Pizarrete in Peravia (Ban?) province.

The family appealed and the San Cristobal Court of Appeals brought Mart?nez Arias back into the case. The family criticized the fact that the pre-trial custody measures had been changed to regular court appearances for a year without any justification. They said that the irregularities that have been part of this case over the past four-and-a-half years are due to Sergeant Mart?nez Arias?s links with the mafia-style network that allegedly operates in the Dominican judiciary. The family states that Sergeant Luis Confesor Mart?nez Arias is receiving high-level protection.

http://acento.com.do/2016/actualida...gura-asesinos-estan-ligados-red-arias-valera/


Drug arrests in the southwest
The National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and the Dominican Army have confiscated 48 lbs of a substance presumed to be marijuana during an operation carried out at the Vicente Noble crossroads, Barahona and in the town of Vengan a Ver in Independencia province in the southwest.

According to the DNCD, the army Intelligence Unit (G2) stopped two men on a motorcycle at the Baitoa checkpoint on the Jimani-Duverge road with 29 lbs of the drug and the DNCD arrested three men with 19 lbs of marijuana inside a minibus in Vicente Noble.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...ibras-de-marihuana-en-la-region-sur-LB5164094


Drug arrests in the capital
Agents from the National Police Anti-Narcotics department (DICAN) have arrested two men and closed down a drug sales operation in the Isla sector of Los Alcarrizos in Santo Domingo.

The men were named as 23-year old Jose Enrique Jimenez and 22-year old Jose Villa Lorenzo, from whom the police confiscated 42 portions of crack, one of cocaine and three of marijuana. In addition to the drugs, DICAN confiscated a 12-bore shotgun, a Smith and Wesson pistol, three cell phones and cash.

http://eldia.com.do/dican-desmantela-punto-de-drogas-y-apresa-dos-hombres-en-los-alcarrizos/


Woman caught smuggling quarter of a million dollars
On Monday, 10 October 2016, the Customs authorities and the National Drug Control Agency confiscated US$236,216 at Las Americas International Airport from a woman who was trying to take the money out of the country illegally. She was planning to travel to Panama.

Her name has not been revealed until the investigations are concluded. The authorities are trying to establish whether she was hired to take the money out of the country or if she belongs to a currency smuggling network.

The money was found in a false-bottomed suitcase. So far this year, authorities have seized more than US$2 million in illegally transported money.

Meanwhile, at the Punta Cana International Airport the DNCD arrested a woman with seven kilos of cocaine who was trying to catch a flight to Madrid.

http://elnacional.com.do/apresan-mujer-sacaba-del-pais-236-mil-dolares/


US man sent to pre-trial detention
A judge in Santo Domingo has sent a US citizen to three months in pre-trial detention on charges of sexual exploitation and psychological abuse of a 16-year old boy.

Loveall James Willis Jr., aged 62 is accused of committing the act on 6 October in the Colonial Zone, National District and was arrested in flagrante delicto by the Tourist Police (CESTUR).

He is being held at La Victoria jail.

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2016/10/...o-acusado-explotar-sexual-adolescente-16-anos
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...-de-explotacion-sexual-contra-menor-AB5164938
http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/201...ricano-imputado-explotacion-sexual-menor.html


Ram?n Orlando and Pochy Familia at Hard Rock Live
On Wednesday, 26 October 2016 at 9pm, merengue singers Ram?n Orlando and Pochy Familia and his Coco Band are booked for a performance at the Hard Rock Live at the Blue Mall in Santo Domingo. They promise to play their best-known merengue and bolero hits.


Night of the Jackal in Manoguayabo
The Night of the Jackal will take place at the Warehouse in Manoguayabo in Santo Domingo West on 28 October 2016. The event is known for its mix of classical, urban and rock music. The producers have prepared what is described as a Goth setting with five simultaneous stages for 20 acts: The Cage, The Library by Bocanegra, The CK2 Lab, The Graveyard, The Cinema by Cineasta. There will also be a food court.

International DJs dOP (live), Thug****er, Atish, Satori and Frank & Tony will be performing, along with the Caramelos de Cianuro, Toque Profundo, Poolpo, Auro S?nico, Playa O Radio, Villano Sam, Ramos, Viva La Percusi?n, Beto Pel?ez and Jen Eric Massena.

There will also be a giant screen showing classic films, silent films and horror films to a soundtrack of classical music.

For information on upcoming events:
http://www.dr1.com/calendar


Archived News stories:
http://dr1.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/91-Daily-Headline-News

Archived Travel News stories:
http://dr1.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/92-Travel-amp-Tourism-News