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Daily News - 14 February 2000
DR Cyberpark could get boost from SoftBank
President Leonel Fernández, on a promotional tour to Asia, met two hours after arriving to Tokyo with Masayoshi Son, president and chief executive officer of SoftBank Corporation. SoftBank is one of the leading and fastest growing Internet investment groups in the world today. El Siglo newspaper described Son as the Japanese Bill Gates.
President Fernández discussed a possible Softbank participation in the Santo Domingo Cyberpark, a high tech free zone that the Dominican President himself is promoting as the new development strategy for the DR.
Hoy newspaper reports it is possible that Softbank could invest US$10 million in a US$50 million fund being created to spur the Santo Domingo Cyberpark. El Siglo newspaper reports President Fernández said in Tokyo that the DR could be one of 12 Latin American countries that will benefit from SoftBank's initial investment of US$100 million in the region.
"I believe that we perfectly qualify, and if this is so we would be taking an extraordinary step for the DR because the presence of this company would stimulate others to invest in the DR which would make the Cyberpark a success, if we can achieve this," El Siglo newspaper quotes President Fernández. President Fernández said that the companies require good telecommunications infrastructure, an interest on behalf of the government to promote high tech projects and a skilled or trainable labor force as well as the infrastructure for the development of high tech projects. President Fernández feels these four requirements are available in the DR, plus the advantage of geographic proximity to the US.
"At the start of a new century, a new millennium, the DR has to have new objectives and goals, and we cannot do it alone; we have to take advantage of the opportunities globalization brings and that are possible because of the communications revolution," said the President in Tokyo.
The presidential announcement coincides with the release of the news that SoftBank Corp would work together with the World Bank's private sector investment arm, the International Finance Corporation, to invest in new Internet start-up companies in Latin America. A new company was recently formed with the IFC, SoftBank Emerging Markets (75% SoftBank, 25% IFC), with offices in Silicon Valley, that will have initial funds of US$200 million available for Internet-related companies in developing countries. This is in addition to Softbank's existing plan to invest US$300 million in Internet companies in China and Latin America.
SoftBank has taken an interest in operations that are developing locally adapted versions of leading online business models.
Softbank is one of the biggest players in Internet companies in the United States. It has provided seed capital for Yahoo, E-Trade and Buy.com, among others.
The World Bank became involved as it is in line with that organization's efforts to reduce what is known as the "digital divide" between the rich and poor nations. The idea is to accelerate the inclusion of the developing countries in the information revolution, says James D. Wolfensohn, the World Bank's president. The DR hopes to be among the first start-up companies to receive support. The first funding will be announced in May 2000.
During a reception President Fernández offered Dominican residents in Tokyo, he stressed that he seeks to convert the DR into the "Japan of the Caribbean." "There is a lot that we can learn and receive from Japan in goodwill to advance along the road that permits us to mitigate poverty in our country," he said.
Real estate inventory to start in March
Hoy newspaper reports that the government will carry out a real estate inventory of the city of Santo Domingo starting in March. US$10 million will finance the project funded by the Spanish government. The inventory will be carried out to determine ownership, worth and availability of property in Santo Domingo. The Catastro Nacional department is in charge of the project. The survey will serve as base to increase collections of the tax on property worth more than RD$1.3 million. It will also help resolve conflicts regarding property in Santo Domingo.
Government stands up for property rights
The National Police has not allowed illegal occupants of the Los Girasoles to return to the Girasoles property that is located on the outskirts of Santo Domingo. The former occupants of the property were ousted and relocated to a nearby lot property of a physician as they await the government to resolve their alleged homeless status.
The Girasoles issue, which made front-page headlines when supposedly the Police forcefully evicted 800 families, could set a new precedent. Despite political pressures, the Fernández government has not given in to the takeover of the private/government property. Politicians/government officers have been known to be promoters of the takeover of unoccupied private property in the past, creating major concerns as to the rights to property ownership in the DR. Governments in the past, especially the Balaguer governments, gave way to pressures of landless farmers allotting thousands of farmland to low income farmers. These properties are today in the hands of others, and thousands of farmers have moved to Santo Domingo, where they fall prey to promoters that invade unoccupied lands while making a profit of what is not theirs. The Girasoles group has won the support of outspoken Catholic priest Rogelio Cruz. The families demand to be relocated but have rejected initial offers by the government, saying they do not want to go beyond Km. 9 of the Duarte Highway, as they want to continue to be close to their work places.
Press editorials have sided with the position of the Police and the government to dislodge the families from land that is considered part of the ecological reserve of the city of Santo Domingo. Report in Listin Diario Sunday magazine quotes Mercedes Sabater, director del Consejo Nacional de Asuntos Urbanos, explaining that the lands belong to the Green Belt of Santo Domingo, a protected area that is set aside for reforestation. She explained that not even the real owners of the land have obtained authorization to develop it.
The property was expropriated by Decree 183-93 from the original owners. But the government has not compensated the owners, thus they continue to be the legal owners of the property. She explained just because the lot is vacant, does not give homeless persons the right to occupy it.
Sabater acknowledged that thousands of poor Dominicans find their way from rural areas move to city areas every year, creating urban pressure. But she said the government cannot provide land for all who need it. Furthermore, she said these lands do not have any infrastructure, and what was there was a slum area, a neighborhood of cardboard boxes. The Girasoles slum came about when the property was invaded following Hurricane Georges.
Santiago Moquete of Fundepro, a foundation that defends property rights in the DR, said that the invaders are not what they claim to be. He said they built shacks so they could later pressure the government for advantages. The promoters of the occupations of the property, then resell these shacks and the land they are on to others for up to RD$20,000. These persons also hope to be relocated by the government.
He questioned Father Rogelio Cruz's support of the group. He said the Father is aware that only 10 or 15% of the people who claim to have lived there, really lived there.
He explained that the promoter of the illegal occupation of the Girasoles property is Juan Bautista Cuevas, who organized the group. He said Bautista also participated in the former Hoyo de Chulín neighborhood.
Hipólito leads, but popularity drops seven points, says Hoy-Hamilton poll
Hoy newspaper's Hamilton poll published today indicates that Hipólito Mejía of the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano continues to lead runner-up Danilo Medina of the ruling Partido de la Liberación Dominicana. Forty-two percent of Dominicans said they would vote for Mejía in the 16 May presidential election, versus 27% who would vote for Medina and 20% who would vote for Joaquín Balaguer of the Partido Reformista Social Cristiano. 10% of voters said they were undecided. While Mejía maintains a comfortable lead, the Hamilton poll showed his popularity dropped seven points when compared to the previous survey held in November. Medina and Balaguer gained one point during this period, going respectively from 26 to 27%, and 19 to 20%. The survey took place 31 January to 4 February. One thousand potential voters (50% men, 50% women) were interviewed throughout the national territory.
Sampling of St. Valentine Day shows
Santo Domingo:
Luisa Maria Guell and Frank Ceara. Remington Palace.
Eddy Herrera and Sergio Vargas. Stephanie's Club Disco.
Anthony Rios at El Maunaloa Night Club.
Chucho Avellanet at Discoteca Azucar (Omni). Hotel Melia.
Toño Rosario y Orquesta at Discoteca Jet Set.
Frank Ceara at Berimbao Café.
José Antonio Rodríguez at Il Grappolo.
Audrey Campos at La Briciola Restaurant.
Alex Bueno and Ramon Orlando at Monday Disco

Interior:
Victor & Shire and Renold y su Nueva Cosecha at Riu Pacha (Punta Cana-Macao).
Victor y Shire at Greyi's Disco in San Pedro de Macorís (near Juan Dolio).
Raffy Matías at Boomerang in Santiago.
José y su Artillería Pesada at Acropolis Disco in Santiago.
Los Toros Band at the Hotel Gran Almirante Casino, Santiago.
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