DR1 Daily News - Monday, 24 April 2017

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May 3, 2000
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Dominican Republic offshore oil campaign advances
Cadastral Registry inventory to take place 2018-2020
First Lady campaigns for special games in the Dominican Republic
Generous pensions for JCE officers
Police orders agents to wear their helmets
Attorney General delegates to Chamber of Accounts the Odebrecht overpricing investigations
Thousands protest government corruption in San Francisco de Macorís
British ambassador breakfast to explain Brexit
Rains to continue
DR wins regional age group table tennis tournament
Mirador del Sur fun run
Pavel Núñez, Aljadaqui and Transfusion rock evening
The Motherf**ker with the Hat to open at Palacio de Bellas Artes



Dominican Republic offshore oil campaign advances
Alberto Reyes, Deputy Minister of Hydrocarbons, Ministry of Energy and Mines, will be participating in the Latin America Oil and Gas Summit 2017 set for Bogotá, Colombia the 6th and 7th of June 2017 to promote the advances in the offshore oil campaign of the country. 

Latin American Oil and Gas news portal reports that in the coming weeks the Dominican Republic will open a bidding process with the purpose of receiving proposals from interested parties in conducting an offshore high-resolution multi-client 2D seismic survey in the exclusive economic zone and territorial waters of the country.

Reporting on the bidding process, the oil news portal highlights that the Dominican Republic recently launched its National Hydrocarbon Database (BNDH), developed by Schlumberger (SLB: NYSE), which contains about 19,000 kilometers of seismic information, acquired in the last 50 years, and is available to the public at no cost through the website https://www.bndh.gob.do/en/ 

As reported, offers will only be considered from entities that have carried out offshore 2D, 3D or 4D seismic surveys in at least three countries in the last five years and / or that have launched at least five thousand (5,000) total linear kilometers Of 2D seismic lines in the last seven years or at least five hundred square kilometers of 3D or 4D seismic in the last seven years.

The Dominican Government is inviting interested and qualified companies to participate in this tender. Information concerning the submission of the bids is available at the Ministry of Energy and Mines or can be downloaded from the Ministry’s website or the website of the General Directorate of Public Procurement (DGCP).

http://www.comprasdominicana.gov.do/.
https://latamoilandgas.com/


Cadastral Registry inventory to take place 2018-2020
The director of the Cadastral Registry in the Dominican Republic (DGCN), Claudio Peña announced the start of the property inventory in the country with a first phase to take place from 2018 to 2020. Peña says the department estimates there are currently 435,000 property units registered in the National District and the Santo Domingo East municipalities and Greater Santo Domingo compared to 390,000 property units registered in 2011. 

The first phase of the project “Catastro Nacional de República Dominicana” will be carried out by the electronic data unit of the Spanish company El Corte Inglés covering the National District and Santo Domingo East. Peña explained that the project includes the preparing of a digital mapping of cities in 15 leading municipalities nationwide, equivalent to 1,086.42 square kilometers. 

Speaking for El Corte Inglés, Juan José Pradales Catalina said that the digitized inventory will include high precision air photographs of the country’s 15 main municipalities. He said the new digitized system will allow for the continuous and permanent updating of the inventory. 

http://www.listindiario.com/economia/2017/04/21/462702/realizaran-inventario-inmobiliario-en-el-pais


First Lady campaigns for special games in the Dominican Republic
President of Panama Juan Carlos Varela is backing the proposal of Dominican First Lady Candida Montilla for the Dominican Republic to host the 4th Latin American Special Games in 2018.  The agreement was signed during a visit of First Lady Montilla to the Special Games taking place in Panama. 

Twenty-one countries are participating in the event being held in Panama from 20-28 April this year. The Dominican Republic is participating with a 19-athlete strong delegation. 

The 2018 Latin American Special Games will be a platform for activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Special Olympics and the legacy of their founder, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of former President John F. Kennedy. 

As reported by the Presidency, the president and regional director of the games, Claudia Echeverry and Timothy Shriver Kennedy, international president for the Special Olympics, backed the Dominican proposal to host the games. Echeverry said they would like the Dominican Republic to host the Special Olympics to take place in 2021, but have accepted in principle the special games given the proposal submitted by the First Lady for 2018. 

The Special Olympics in the past have been held in El Salvador, Puerto Rico and Panamá during its 50-year history. 

https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...les-2018-propuesta-de-primera-dama-es-apoyada
http://juegoslatam.org/
 

Generous pensions for JCE officers
The former president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Roberto Rosario Márquez will receive a pension of RD$318,750 a month, or 85% of his RD$375,000 salary at the JCE. His colleagues, former judges Eddy Olivares Ortega, José Angel Aquino and Cesar Feliz will receive 70% of their last salary at the JCE that was RD$370,000 or RD$252,000 a month each. 

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...-central-electoral-fueron-jubilados-XI6912770


Police orders agents to wear their helmets
Only in the Dominican Republic. The National Police has issued a memorandum warning that it is strictly prohibited for members of the Police to drive vehicles if they do not have drivers’ licenses. The same Memorandum 012-2017 indicates that police driving motorcycles need to wear their helmets to avoid confrontations with the Metropolitan Transport Authority officers. 

In an editorial on 24 April 2017, Diario Libre comments on those that are called to enforce the law need to be ordered to comply with the law. 

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...in-documentos-y-sin-casco-protector-AM6907156

https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/editorial/policia-sin-ley-CG6910949


Attorney General delegates to Chamber of Accounts the Odebrecht overpricing investigations
Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez passed the baton in the investigation of corruption in the overpricing of public works enabled by bribes that Odebrecht has admitted to paying. The Attorney General says that the Chamber of Accounts is now the responsible agency to investigate potential overpricing of public works. 

His office recently drafted an agreement that essentially pardons Odebrecht and its affiliates and partners in the Dominican Republic from corruption in the case of the bribes. The Attorney General has distanced himself from investigating the overpricing issues, delegating this to the Chamber of Accounts. 

In the Dominican Republic the Chamber of Accounts has a track record of widespread lenience in dealing with corruption accusations of government officers. 

Meanwhile, former district attorney and Al Pais presidential candidate, Guillermo Moreno comments in an opinion piece in Diario Libre on 24 April 2017 that the recent homologation agreement the Attorney General signed with Odebrecht excludes the company from being investigated for alleged financing of the presidential re-election campaign of President Danilo Medina in 2016, for purchasing the vote of legislators to modify the Constitution to allow for the consecutive re-election of Medina, and above all for the fraud committed against the Dominican Republic in overpricing of works obtained through bribes. Moreno says the agreement impedes the Dominican judiciary from trying Odebrecht in a penal court and thus the Brazilian firm will be able to continue operating here. Odebrecht’s largest contract is for the construction of the coal-fired Punta Catalina generation plant. 

Moreno writes: “The levels of commitment of Danilo Medina with Odebrecht impede that his Attorney General present accusations against that company. It is clear: Danilo Medina is guaranteeing impunity to Odebrecht and the continuing of the construction of Punta Catalina in exchange for the company guaranteeing impunity to him.” 

http://eldia.com.do/procurador-solicita-a-camara-de-cuentas-auditar-obras-construidas/
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/en-directo/un-acuerdo-de-impunidad-XH6911066


Thousands protest government corruption in San Francisco de Macorís
Hundreds of thousands walked the streets of San Francisco de Macorís in the northeast to protest impunity in the Brazilian Odebrecht construction company dealings with Dominican governments. The march began at 10am and ended by noon with manifestos read by participants dressed in green.  

Speakers during the event called the recent pardon agreed to by the Attorney General and the judiciary for Odebrecht an atrocious manipulation of the judicial procedures. The pardon comes with a payment of US$184 million over an eight-year period in compensation for US$92 million the company has admitted to having paid in bribes to Dominican government officers. 

The speakers accused President Danilo Medina of "using the overwhelming media machinery and all the power of the Government to manipulate and try to distort the evidence that incriminates him as the main person responsible for enabling the bribes, together with the leadership of his party, for what they deemed as the most outrageous and embarrassing acts of corruption registered in the country in recent years."

http://elnacional.com.do/movimiento-contra-la-corrupcion-marcha-verde-abarrota-calles-de-sfm/
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...ia-los-corruptos-la-peor-catastrofe-DM6907665
http://elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=531518
http://somospueblo.com/
http://acento.com.do/2017/actualida...respondio-manera-contundente-la-marcha-verde/


British ambassador breakfast to explain Brexit
The United Kingdom Embassy in the Dominican Republic, the British Chamber of Commerce in the Dominican Republic and the Commonwealth Table in the Dominican Republic invite the public to a business breakfast addressing Brexit and the next steps for the Dominican Republic. British ambassador Chris Campbell will be speaking and taking questions. 

The breakfast is scheduled for Thursday, 27 April 2017 at the Hotel InterContinental Real as of 8:30am. 

Those interested in participating, should contact the British Chamber of Commerce at http://www.britchamdr.com/
or the Commonwealth Table in the Dominican Republic at commonwealthdr@gmail.com or Tel 809 476-6951. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-embassy-santo-domingo


Rains to continue
The National Weather Office (Onamet) announces the rains will continue nationwide today due to a passing trough. It had rained all through the weekend. The Committee for Emergency Operations (COE) reported that 24 provinces are under flooding alert. 


DR wins regional age group table tennis tournament
The Dominican Republic is the Caribbean youth champions in table tennis. The Dominican team participating in the 2017 Caribbean Cadet and Junior Table Tennis Championship won the championship held 13-19 April in Georgetown, Guyana. 

The DR won events in categories of U-18 and U-15. The DR team won 23 medals – 12 gold, 4 silver and 7 bronze, with players dominating in every category. The team won the award for Most Outstanding Team. 

The Dominican team bested around 135 youth athletes and teams from Jamaica, Barbados Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Cuba, Aruba, St Vincent, St. Lucia and host Guyana.

By winning the championship, the Dominican team qualified for the 2nd Pan American Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships scheduled for Argentina in July of 2017. Barbados and Guyana, who placed second and third, respectively, also qualified for the Pan American championship.  

The event was organized by the Caribbean Regional Table Tennis Federation and the Guyana Table Tennis Association. 

https://www.facebook.com/GuyanaTableTennisAssociation/
http://newsroom.gy/2017/04/19/third...a-as-dr-dominates-caribbean-tt-championships/
http://www.listindiario.com/el-deporte/2017/04/23/462968/rd-campeon-del-caribe-infantil-y-juvenil


Mirador del Sur fun run
The Color Night Run is scheduled for Saturday, 13 May 2017. Participants will run from km 0 of the Mirador del Sur Park starting at 7pm. The activity is a benefit for Fundacion Pañoleta. Participants are asked to pay RD$1,000.  However, children under eight years of age will not have to pay. 

To light up the event, ultra violet light reactive color powder will be sprayed throughout the five-kilometer route. 

Tickets are available at Uepa Tickets, CCN Jumbo, Supermercados Nacional. 


Pavel Núñez, Aljadaqui and Transfusion rock evening
Leading contemporary pop rock performers Pavel Núñez, Aljadaqui and Transfusion will be performing at the Hard Rock Live Santo Domingo at Blue Mall on Friday, 5 May at 9pm. Tickets are RD$1,500 per person. 


The Motherf**ker with the Hat to open at Palacio de Bellas Artes
El Hijo de P•#@ del Sombrero opens at the Palacio de Bellas Artes on 12 May 2017. The play is directed by Manuel Chapuseaux. It is a production by Puerto Rican Raúl Méndez. 

The play is by American playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis. The show is described on Wikipedia as: "a high-octane verbal cage match about love, fidelity and misplaced haberdashery. 

Main roles are by Irving Alberti, Nashla Bogaert, Hony Estrella, Keny Grullon and Pepe Sierra. 

Performances are the weekends of 12-14 and 19-21 May 2017. 

Tickets for sale at Uepa Tickets or Palacio de Bellas Artes box office. Tel 809 687-0504. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mother****er_with_the_Hat