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Daily News - 2 February 2000
Cyberpark and two more free zones authorized
President Leonel Fernández authorized the operation of the high-tech Santo Domingo Cyberpark and two other industrial free zones. The Santo Domingo Cyberpark was created by Decree 30-2000 and will be located on 250,000 meters in Hato Nuevo, National District (outside of Santo Domingo, near Las Americas International Airport).
Decree 31-2000 creates the Jaibón industrial free zone, to be built on a 33,695 square meter lot in the northwestern province of Monte Cristi. The third park was authorized by Decree 32-2000 and will be installed on a 57,353 square meter lot in Villa Mella, National District (north of Santo Domingo). President Fernández also authorized the Santiago Industrial Free Zone, the largest in the DR, to expand its operations to 692,190 square meters.
Interest on Northwest Aqueduct loan halved
The Executive Branch sent to the Senate an addendum to the loan bill proposed to finance the Northwest Aqueduct. The addendum reduces the interest rate, from 6.75% to 3.75%, on the US$32.7 and US$129.2 million Brazilian loans that would finance the aqueduct. Majority sectors within the Congress have refused to pass the bill, requesting that the builders of the project be chosen in a tender. The government has said the bill was an initiative of PRD senators. The project has been contested on technical and financial grounds.
The National Congress closed yesterday. It is slated to reopen 27 February. At that time, the Executive Branch or legislators will need to re-introduce bills that expired yesterday. These include: Financial and Monetary Code, Social Security Bill, Stock Exchange Bill, Corruption Bill, Tariffs and Fiscal Compensation Reform Bill, Intellectual Property Bill, General Electricity Bill.
Electricity superintendent says bills to go up 9%; consumers receive 100% increases
The Superintendent of Electricity, Marcos Cochón said that consumers will receive a 9% increase in their electricity bills as of February. Likewise, he said that the government will continue to subsidize consumers, picking up RD$80 million in the difference of the cost of producing the electricity, while the barrel of petroleum continues at high levels.
The announced 9% increase for February contrasts with the much higher bills corresponding to January that consumers have already received, regardless of the long hours of blackouts. Thousands of persons can be found waiting in line at private distributor companies to get explanations from customer service agents on how come their bills are already showing more like 100% increases. The new consumer bill increases are in addition to increases that were levied several times in 1999 as the CDE prepared for the advent of the new companies, and the new companies started operation.
Regarding the RD$80 million subsidy, this is more than the previous subsidy the government paid before privatization say news reports. Government sectors have always stated that the subsidy to the CDE, the privatized state electricity utility, was RD$200 million. This amount minus the estimated RD$150 million bills of government sectors, left a RD$50 million real subsidy. If the government will be paying a RD$80 million subsidy, this will be RD$30 million more than what it had to pay in the past.
The CDE is now operating in a constant cash flow deficit, as it no longer collects from consumers, but still has to dish out millions to pay for expensive energy being sold by private generators that negotiated privileged contracts under a previous Balaguer administration. This has critics pointing to the bad deal government negotiators, in their apparent rush to privatize, ended up with. With the presidential election four months away, the consumer gripe with the privatization of electricity comes at a bad time for the PLD. The elimination of blackouts had been a PLD government achievement up until August when the company was privatized. Now with blackouts back and light bills soaring, from the consumer point of view it seems more like a PLD government blunder for which the nation will pay millions of dollars in years to come.
Macroeconomic stability versus macroeconomic equilibrium
Frank Guerrero Prats, economic advisor to PRD presidential candidate Hipólito Mejía, said that a PRD government would strive to improve macroeconomic equilibrium versus macroeconomic stability. Guerrero said that the government has given priority to a short-term economic outlook versus long term macroeconomic equilibrium. He defined macroeconomic equilibrium as the equilibrium of the external and internal accounts of the economy. He pointed out that the current account of the balance of payments closed last year with a US$500 million deficit, regardless of contributions made by tourism, free zones, and remittances. He said that an overall balance was achieved only because US$687 million entered the country as a result of the capitalization of state enterprises. He highlighted that that only happens once.
Air Force shows off its new Chilean airplanes
The recently purchased fleet of eight Chilean-made airplanes, T-35B Pillan could be seen yesterday in formation as they flew over Santo Domingo. President Leonel Fernández observed the new fleet from a National Palace balcony. The airplanes will help the Air Force combat drug trafficking, illegal boat trips, and help patrol the Dominican frontier with Haiti.
Police orders officer to be investigated re Vimenca case
The Chief of the National Police Pedro de Jesus Candelier ordered that a commission investigate a police mayor that has been implicated in the assault of the Vimenca values truck in September 1999 at the corner of Abraham Lincoln and Jacinto Mañón. Three custodians were killed, a third seriously injured and more than RD$3.5 million stolen.
Police investigators have implicated a university professor that has ties to the Fuerza de la Revolución, a leftist movement lead by Narciso Isa Conde, former leader of the defunct Dominican Communist Party.
Isa Conde said he sent a letter to President Fernández and to Víctor Méndez Capellán, president of the remittances company, indicating that they should investigate a Mayor Melo Santos who has been protected by the Police, and who is a member of the commission that has investigated the assault. Isa Conde says the police has tried to hide the participation in the assault of a white Datsun 160J, assigned to a high-ranking police officer who was on the crime's investigation committee. The director of the National Department of Investigations Rear Admiral Sigfrido Pared Pérez told the press, "In the Vimenca case, any person could have been there, military or civilian, the simple facts of the operation, how it took place, give an idea that there has to have been military or police agents involved."
Haiti appoints new chief of mission in DR
The government of Haiti appointed Dr. André L. Dortonne as counselor minister in charge of the Haitian mission in the DR. Dortonne is a 70-year old lawyer who is considered one of Haiti's most professional diplomats. The appointment is dated 31 January. He replaces Guy Lamothe who had been in charge of the mission since Ambassador Guy Alexandre clashed with the Dominican government and was removed. According to diplomatic sources, the DR Ministry of Foreign Affairs had complained before the Haitian government that Mr. Lamothe's opinions were not helping relations between both countries.
Profamilia protests Cardinal's statements
The Asociación Dominicana Pro Bienestar de la Familia (Profamilia) rejected Cardinal Nicolás Jesús Rodríguez criticism regarding their reproductive health services. Profamilia considered these insulting and distorting, and intended to due harm to the organization. Magaly Caram, executive director of the organization, attributed the judgments of the Cardinal to intolerance and fanaticism.
The Cardinal issued his opinions in a mass at the Cathedral of Santo Domingo on occasion of National Youth Day. He spoke up against comments made by the wife of US Ambassador Charles Manatt, Mrs. Kathleen Manatt on occasion of visiting a Profamilia clinic in Santiago. Mrs. Manatt praised the clinic's work in favor of birth control, which caused the wrath of the Cardinal.
When journalists asked US Ambassador Charles Manatt to comment on the incident, the newly arrived Ambassador said that the work of the Cardinal and his own were different and that he respected all opinions.
Save Santo Domingo plea
A group of Dominican architects and urban planners are trying to rescue the city of Santo Domingo that seems to be under the siege of concrete builders. In the past three years, the city of Santo Domingo, once a garden and pedestrian-friendly city, has evolved to give priority to inner city expressways for fast-moving vehicles. Pedestrians have been the losers.
As reported in the Listín Diario, a group of individuals and institutions are now trying to rescue the boulevards, trees and architectural treasures of the city.
"Santo Domingo is still a rescuable city, with numerous wide spaces, and it deserves the opportunity for new times. It is necessary that a common front of citizens, free of vested interests, come together to confront actions that attempt against the urban integrity of the city and the quality of life of its inhabitants," says the group in a manifesto.
"We need to remind public authorities and the real estate promoters that a city is made by its inhabitants, which is the reason why it is essential, for good urban management, to improve, rescue and development more and better public spaces."
The group includes institutions such as Icomos, Foro Urbano, Nueva Arquitectura, Grupo Pro-Conservación de Gazcue and has the support of the planning office of the Municipality of Santo Domingo.
They criticized that "public sectors have inserted new and absurd road structures, that do not respond to a general conception or city planning, while at the same time there is a lack of effective urban controls by the different authorities which has contributed to urban chaos and the loss of quality of life."
The organization applauded the recent city government decision to put a moratorium through 30 March on the demolition of Gazcue buildings and houses (Av. 27 de Febrero-George Washington-Máximo Gómez-30 de Marzo/Palo Hincado streets) that bear the stamp of the history of architecture in Santo Domingo. The city government recently stopped the demolition of the Jaragüita, by architect Guillermo González, on the Malecón.
Caribbean World Series opens today
The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are the favorites to win the 30th Caribbean World Series that opens today at the Quisqueya Ballpark in Santo Domingo. The DR has won 12 series.
Puerto Rico (Cangrejeros de Santurce) and Venezuela (Aguilas del Zulia) will play the opening game at 5 pm. At 8 pm, the Dominican Republic (Aguilas Cibaeñas) will match Mexico (Mayos de Navojoa).
Robinson Pérez will be the opening pitcher for the DR in tonight's game.
The Aguilas roster: Tony Peña, coach. Neifi Pérez, Adrián Beltré, Timoniel Pérez, Rubén Mateo, Efrain Valdez, Miguel Batista, Jesús Sanchez, José Jiménez, David Ortiz, Luis Polonia, Miguel Tejeda, Tony Batista, Guillermo García, Alberto Castillo, Felix Martínez, Dionys Cesar, Omar Ramírez, Mario Encarnación, Melvin Rosarios, José Cabrera, Antonio Alfonseca, Julián Tavárez, Fernando Hernández, Robinson Pérez, José García, Hector Ramírez, Benito Báez.

The schedule for the series is as follows:
Wednesday, 2 February
5 pm Puerto Rico v Venezuela
8 pm DR v Mexico (DR pitcher Robinson Pérez Checo)

Thursday, 3 February
5 pm Puerto Rico v Mexico
8 pm DR v Venezuela (DR pitcher Julián Tavárez)

Friday, 4 February
5 pm Mexico v Venezuela
8 pm DR v Puerto Rico (DR pitcher Miguel Batista)

Saturday, 5 February
5 pm Venezuela v Puerto Rico
8 pm Mexico v DR (DR pitcher Efraín Valdez)

Sunday, 6 February
5 pm Mexico v Puerto Rico
8 pm Venezuela v DR (DR pitcher Fernando Hernández)

Monday, 7 February
5 pm Venezuela v Mexico
8 pm Puerto Rico v DR (DR pitcher Robinson Pérez Checo)

Tickets are selling for RD$500 Palcos A, RD$350 Palcos AA, RD$250 preferencias, RD$40 bleachers. Cadena Microondas Nacionales will transmit by Channel 7, Antena Latina and by radio the games. Fox Sports World Español, a Spanish language all-sports network in the US, will be transmitting the series to select US cities.
For tickets, call 567-6371 or 540-5772. The series was last played in Santo Domingo in 1996.
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