DR1 Daily News - Monday, 22 May 2017

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Indotel to get help from FCC for digital TV switch in the DR
Boskalis interested in setting up operations in DR
Saleta announces priorities for Santo Domingo Metro 
Senate excludes betting shops from Asset Laundry Bill
Massive turnout for Southwest Green March
Haiti again blocks trade
Dominican Republic with full presence at Cannes
Dominicans win first in Get in The Ring entrepreneurs competition
Karim Mella returns to the top of the Everest
Dominican Audrys Nin Reyes wins in Croatia gymnastics cup
Major League ball players come mostly from the province of Santo Domingo
The New York Band at Jet Set Club
Anthony Rios concert at Barceló Santo Domingo



Indotel to get help from FCC for digital TV switch in the DR
The Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) reached an agreement for assistance from the US government for the digitalization of the Dominican television system. Indotel reported that a Letter of Intent was signed in Washington, D.C. on 10 May 2017, by José del Castillo Saviñón, president of Indotel, and Ajit Pai, president of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 

Also present at the signing were executive director of Indotel Katrina Naut; Marcos Peña, member of the board of Indotel; Danilo Polanco, manager for User Protection; and Maria Waleska Alvarez, CEO of Caribbean Network Access Point (NAP del Caribe). 

In 2010, José Rafael Vargas, who was president of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (INDOTEL), oversaw the Dominican Republic adoption of the United States’ ATSC Digital Television Standard for digital terrestrial television broadcasting.  The original plan called for the analog broadcast television to be phased out in country by September 2015. While, the process has been delayed, director del Castillo is intent on leading the country to make the switch by 2021.  

The implementation of ATSC DTV standards are expected to usher in a wealth of new applications, including high-definition television (HDTV), mobile digital television broadcasting, multiple simultaneous programs of standard-definition television (SDTV) and multi-channel surround-sound digital audio, in addition to a wealth of other data broadcasting and interactive services. 

https://elnuevodiario.com.do/estado...l-proceso-de-digitalizacion-de-la-television/
http://indotel.gob.do/noticias/pres...avance-tecnológico-si-no-asume-la-tv-digital/


Boskalis interested in setting up operations in DR
The Presidency reports that the Dutch firm, Boskalis, a global dredging and marine expert firm, would be interested in creating a regional center to provide service to the Americas from the Dominican Republic. Recently, William E. Castleton, Boskalis’ regional manager for the country, met with President Danilo Medina on the matter. 

From its Dominican office, the company would also provide assistance for the prevention and management of flooding of rivers in the country. Boskalis proposes to help train the Dominican Armada. 

https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...publica-dominicana-como-centro-para-la-region
https://boskalis.com/


Saleta announces priorities for Santo Domingo Metro 
New Santo Domingo Metro director, engineer Manuel Antonio Saleta toured the Santo Domingo Metro line 1 and 2 over the weekend. Saleta said that the completion of Line 2, the increase of passenger load and cars of Line 1 and the maintenance of the installation in operation are the three priorities in the short and medium term for the metro. He observed the need to add cars on some routes or increase or expand some stations due to the big demand for the service. 

The Santo Domingo Metro hopes for better days ahead. Its deputy director, Leonel Carrasco has said that it transports around 250,000 passengers every day.  He said that revenues are around RD$5 million a day, with less on Saturdays and Sundays. 

In an interview with Diario Libre, Carrasco explained that the RD$20 fares these pay cover 85-90% of the cost of the operations. Nevertheless, news reports have revealed that maintenance has been lagging behind. But Carrasco says that maintenance works are carried out after midnight on all the routes. He made the comments after an electrical failure caused a one hour daily from 6:55 to 8am on Friday, 19 May 2017. 


Senate excludes betting shops from Asset Laundry Bill
The Senate modified the Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism Bill to exclude betting shops. The bill would enforce in the Dominican Republic measures that are now globally sanctioned under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF-GAFI).

The bill would replace Law 72-02. The bill had been approved already by the Chamber of Deputies. It had been reviewed by the commissions of defense, national security and justice of the Senate. 

Senator Charlie Marriotti of Monte Plata proposed that gaming and betting shops be excluded from the bill. Only casino gambling will fall under the monitoring of the law as approved in the Senate. The argument is that gaming is not a standard of the group of international financial action and that there are 30,000 betting shops in the Dominican Republic and too many illegal betting shops. He argued that it would be difficult to assure compliance with the law for the thousands of betting shops nationwide. 

The senators also agreed to change the wording so that it would state: “We are going to add (…) definition of asset laundering: is the process by which physical persons or companies or criminal organizations seek to give legitimacy to goods or illicit assets that are the result of crimes outlined in the bill,” stated Marriotti. 

The bill approved in the Senate calls for minimum jail sentences of 5 to 10 years and maximum jail sentences of up to 40 years and 400 minimum wages. 

The initiative penalizes financing terrorism and establishes the seizure of goods and penalizes government officers found guilty of money laundering, regardless of their position. 

In an editorial on 22 May 2017, El Día newspaper criticizes the action by the Senate. The editorialist observes that most of the betting shops belong to large companies and thus the regulations need to be imposed on the parent companies. The editorialist also criticizes the argument by senator Marriotti that there are too much betting shops to regulate these. The editorialist observes that in the case of the illegal shops, the authorities need to prosecute those that are operating without permits. The editorial reminds the “honorable senators” that there should be guarantees that money in circulation is legal. The editorialist hopes that the Chamber of Deputies “cleans up the asset laundering bill.” 

Also commenting on the Senate eliminating gaming and betting shops from the bill, financial analyst Alejandro Fernández tweeted: “If anyone still has doubt that we are not under the thumb of a mafia of gamblers, how disgusting!”  (“Por si alguien dudaba que estamos en las manos de una mafia de riferos, que asco).

El Día columnist, Víctor Batista observed that the senators voted so that the business that moves the most cash in the Dominican Republic (conservatively estimated at RD$160 million a day) can continue unregulated. He observes the truth is that the large businesses that own the gambling operations have good connections in Congress due to political patronage. “They think they are worthy, once more, of a custom made suit, so that the effects of the law not be able to reach them,” he writes. “The betting shop centrifuge, so defended and spoiled in Congress, is the worst that can exist generating inequity, social backwardness and evasion. The political powers to be are to blame for converting the gamers into gentlemen.”

The bill now returns to the Chamber of Deputies for approval of the amendments, and then it will be sent to the Presidency for final approval. 

In an editorial, Diario Libre newspaper observes that criminal organizations produce lots of cash that they need to launder to be legal in the financial system and thus use the resources available in the formal and informal market. The newspaper observes that the argument that there are too many illegal betting shops to prosecute these could then be applied to drug trafficking posts and motorcyclists who steal cell phones. “Everyone in this country knows that most of the betting shops are directed by conglomerates and that several of the representatives of those groups have been elected deputies and senators. Thus, what would be intelligent and sensible on behalf of the legislators would be to not touch any aspect that could benefit that activity. Think twice, honorable legislators.” 

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...-bancas-de-loteria-de-ley-de-lavado-BB7131388
http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu.../proyecto-ley-de-lavado-condiciona-forma-pago
http://eldia.com.do/el-sucio-lavado/
http://eldia.com.do/de-riferos-a-caballeros/
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/am/lavado-de-dinero-y-sistema-politico-YB7146661


Massive turnout for Southwest Green March
Hundreds of thousands of residents in the southwest of the Dominican Republic spontaneously turned out to be part of a nationwide protest for an end to corruption and impunity. The protest march took place on Sunday, 21 May 2017 in the city of Azua, about an hour and a half drive west of Santo Domingo. 

The Azua 3-km march was the fourth mass protest organized by the Green March Movement nationwide. As the march moved through the city of Azua, thousands of citizens joined in protest attired in green. 

As reported in El Dia, Juan Encarnación from San José de Ocoa stated: “I am marching against corruption, theft and lack of justice. We are seeing that there is a government that is an accomplice of all this and the people cannot afford the luxury of this continuing,” he stated.The march ended with an event in the Parque Enriquillo where speakers criticized President Danilo Medina for obstructing justice and placing himself above the law and his constitutional role to favor impunity in the case of the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht. The speakers argued that Medina and attorney general Jean Alain Rodríguez moved so that overpricing could not be reviewed in the Odebrecht case. 

http://eldia.com.do/region-sur-se-concentra-en-azua-y-marcha-contra-la-corrupcion/


Haiti again blocks trade
Despite agreements reached with the Ministry of Foreign Relations, reports from the border are that Haitian authorities are impeding the entry of at least 23 Dominican industry products on Monday and Friday market days. As reported in Diario Libre, on Friday, 19 May 2017, in the morning, Customs inspectors and police agents of Haiti did not allow Dominican merchants to cross the border with the Dominican products. 

The merchants, represented by the Federation of Merchants of the province, protested saying they had not been notified of the policy. Abigail Bueno and Fernando Diaz told Diario Libre that it looks like the Haitian authorities have revoked the lifting of the ban on the export of those products. These include chickens (frozen and fresh), eggs, pasta, cold cuts, plantains, green bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, onions, green peppers, beets, carrots, lettuce, flours, detergents, egg plant, green lemons, potatoes and tomato paste. 

https://www.diariolibre.com/economia/impiden-la-entrada-de-productos-dominicanos-a-haiti-EA7130556


Dominican Republic with full presence at Cannes
As a demonstration of the advances in the film industry in the Dominican Republic, the country was well represented at the Cannes Film Festival, regarded as the Olympics of the film industry. Filmmakers from all around the world come to Cannes every year to participate in the Palm d’Or and the Marche du Cinema competitions. 

In 2017, the Dominican Republic was the only Caribbean nation with a booth and full staff at the world famous Cannes Pavilion, the Village International. With its participation the country sought to attract other filmmakers and producers from around the world to learn about incentives to film producers, come to the Dominican Republic and spend money filming. 

The country also took advantage of the opportunity to showcase the various cinema productions of the recent year passed. Participating this year were four feature length films that were screened in the March du Cinema – Carpinteros (directed by Jose Maria Cabral), Luis (directed by Archie Lopez), Cocole (directed by Nelson Carlos de los Santos) and El Hombre que cuida (directed by Alejandro Andujar). 

The film “Candy Town” by Yanillys Perez, a young Dominican filmmaker was selected by Cannes to take part in the L’Atelier Cinefondation, which is a program at the festival designed to attract interest, investment and attention to a film. Candy Town is a story that sees the Dominican Republic through the eyes of four young girls seeking freedom and identity. 

A database with all films from the DR, past and present was available to showcase the Dominican film industry. Also shown at the booth is a travelogue of the country and videos on what can be gained from filming on location in the Dominican Republic. DGCine, the filmmakers government division, has staff explaining about the country’s incentive programs for filmmakers and facilities like Pinewood Studios and Quitasueño Studios that have hosted Hollywood films. 

Also participating in the Cannes Pavilion is the Festival de Cine Global Dominicano, the country’s leading film festival, organized by Funglode. 

Travolta Cooper, a Bahamian filmmaker, reports in The Bahamas Weekly on the openness of the Dominican Republic Cannes Pavilion staff to host colleagues from the Caribbean at no cost. “There is something to learn from its government who supports its filmmakers. Both are needed, in unison, to make this Caribbean Film Industry work,” he writes in a review on the Dominican participation in Cannes and opportunities yet to be taken advantage of for the Caribbean. 

http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/pub...bean_Cinema_The_Dominican_Republic54016.shtml.


Dominicans win first in Get in The Ring entrepreneurs competition
Luis David Sena, creator of GlobalEduPass, won the first place in the global entrepreneurs competition “Get in the Ring” that took place in Singapore. Sena won in the Lightweight category. He created GlobalEduPass that facilitates access to the best universities around the world. 

To participate in the competition, Sena had the backing of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Small Business in the Dominican Republic (MICM). 

https://www.globaledupass.com/
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...-en-competencia-de-emprendimiento-en-singapur


Karim Mella returns to the top of the Everest
Dominican mountain climber, Karim Mella has done it again. For a second time he reached the top of Mount Everest in Nepal. He reached the summit at 7pm on Sunday, 21 May 2017, Dominican time. 

On 20 May 2011, he had become the first Dominican to climb the mountain. The only other Dominican to reach the summit was Iván Gómez. On that same 2011 trip, Federico Jovine almost made it, but cut his trip short due to problems with his oxygen mask. Jovine would go on to document the trip in a book on the adventure. 


Dominican Audrys Nin Reyes wins in Croatia gymnastics cup
Audrys Nin Reyes won gold in men’s parallel bars in the 2017 Osijek Challenge Cup that was held from May 18 through May 21 in Osijek, Croatia. He also ranked 2nd in men’s vault, 7th in men’s parallel bars, 8th in men’s high bar, 19th in men’s rings, 32nd in men’s pommel horse qualification, and 33rd in men’s floor qualification. 

Nin Reyes participated in the event with the support of the Creando Sueños Olímpicos (CRESO) program sponsored by the Vicini group. 

https://thegymter.net/2017/05/18/2017-osijek-challenge-cup-results/
https://www.diariolibre.com/deporte...n-el-campeonato-mundial-de-gimnasia-FX7145070


Major League ball players come mostly from the province of Santo Domingo
In its initial years, San Pedro de Macorís province made a name for itself as the cradle of Dominican ball players – boasting such famous players as Rico Carty, George Bell, Pedro Guerrero and Sammy Sosa, among others.

Today, however, the many baseball academies in the province of Santo Domingo are attracting a lot of young talent from around metro area. So it might come as a surprise that, as reported in Diario Libre, the province  of Santo Domingo leads the way in the number of MLB players from the Dominican Republic.  

The top 10 provinces where professional baseball players were born are:
Santo Domingo, 186; San Pedro de Macoris, 104; San Cristóbal: 68; Santiago, 50; Peravia (Baní) 35; La Romana 26; Montecristi 23; Puerto Plata, 17; Duarte (San Francisco de Macorís) 16; and Azua 15. 

https://www.diariolibre.com/deporte...as-santo-domingo-aporta-mayor-cifra-BX7132773


The New York Band at Jet Set Club
The Prolongación Avenida Independencia disco, Jet Set Club peresents The New York Band for dancing good music all night long. Monday, 22 May 2017 starting at 10pm. 


Wason Brazoban at Hard Rock Cafe
Wason Brazoban will be singing to Dominican mothers at the Hard Rock Café of Blue Mall on Friday, 26 May 2017 at 9pm. The concert is dedicated to Dominican mothers on occasion of Mother’s Day that falls on Sunday, 28 May 2017, in the Dominican Republic. Tickets: RD$2,000 and RD$3,000. 


Anthony Rios concert at Barceló Santo Domingo
Anthony Rios and Felix D’Oleo will be together for an evening of romantic ballads, jokes and anecdotes at the Salon La Mancha of the Hotel Barcelo Santo Domingo (former Lina) on Friday, 26 May 2017 at 8:30pm. Tickets: RD$1,500 and RD$2,000. The concert is dedicated to Dominican mothers on occasion of Mother’s Day that falls on Sunday, 28 May 2017 in the Dominican Republic.