Home  Message Archive  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003  2002  2001  2000  1999  1998  Premium News Service

Daily News - 22 February 2000
President Fernández returns
President Leonel Fernández returned to Santo Domingo last night. The President returned from a 10-day tour that took him to Japan, Singapore and Thailand. The focus of his trip was to promote investment in the Dominican Republic. He arrived on a regular American Airlines flight from Miami at 10 pm. Vice President Jaime David Fernández Mirabal and several cabinet ministers received him at Las Americas International Airport.
Singapore business could invest in tourism in DR
El Siglo newspaper reports that businessmen from Singapore will visit the Dominican Republic in April, as a result of contacts made by the Dominican government. The businessmen attended a seminar on investments in the DR carried out by the Office for the Promotion of Foreign Investment in Singapore. The workshop was part of official activities on occasion of the visit of President Fernández to the Far East.
Eddy Martínez, director of the investment promotion office, said that the Singapore businessmen showed an interest in investing in the manufacture of electronic components, a hotel, garbage collection, telecommunications and power generation.
A tunnel to zap across Santo Domingo
Listín Diario highlights that the government is building a tunnel from Duarte Bridge to Av. San Vicente de Paul, on the East Bank of Santo Domingo. Originally, the government had planned to build overpasses over Sabana Larga and Venezuela intersections, but preferred the tunnel solution. The Ministry of Public Works told the Listín Diario that the tunnel should be ready by July.
The tunnel is being built so that those headed East will be able to zap across, not having to deal with traffic bottlenecks of those turning north or south to enter the populous eastern Santo Domingo neighborhoods, such as Los Minas or Ozama.
The newspaper says that the tunnel will have four lanes, an extension of 800 meters and will cost RD$400 million. It will be similar to the tunnel from Av. Winston Churchill to Av. Abraham Lincoln and will even have a boulevard with restaurants atop.
The construction of the tunnel is part of a major overhaul of the entrance to Santo Domingo from the East that also includes the expansion of the Las Americas Highway from six lanes to the ten-lane Las Americas Expressway linking onto King Juan Carlos Bridge.
While construction is going on, it's been nightmarish days for those who live in the area and for those who have to make the treacherous pass through the works to cross the Las Americas Avenue.
Modernizing government
Dirección General de Impuestos Internos announces that as of 1 April taxpayers will be able to declare and pay their taxes by Internet. Dennis Manzanillo, deputy director of the department, said that this will make it easier to pay taxes. The DGII web site will enable taxpayers to use home banking services of several banks with which they are reaching agreements.
Atahualpa Domínguez, director of the Dominican Center for the Promotion of Exports (CEDOPEX) is encouraging Dominican exporters to use the Cedopex web site to register their exports. The web site enables exporters to know instantly the amount of merchandise re-exported and the amount of benefits they merit as per the new Law for the Promotion of Exports.
Where politicians will direct most of their attention
Expect the nation's aspirants to win the presidency in May to be directing most of their campaigning efforts to convince voters in Santo Domingo.
According to the Junta Central Electoral, the highest voter concentration is as follows:
National District (Santo Doming): 1,553,811 voters
Santiago: 491,591 voters
La Vega: 188,441
Duarte (San Francisco de Macorís): 183,134
San Cristóbal: 149,415
Puerto Plata: 144,932
San Pedro de Macorís: 135,521
San Juan de la Maguana: 123,803
Peravia: 118,997
La Romana: 105,698
Espaillat (Moca): 104,293
230,000 Canadians estimated to visit in 2000
Canadian ambassador Bruno Picard estimates that 230,000 Canadian tourists will visit the DR in 2000. He spoke at the Dominican-Canadian Chamber of Commerce luncheon held in Puerto Plata. He said that Canadian tourists come from Vancouver to Halifax. He mentioned that a leading Canadian company, Vancouver Airport Services will be taking over the management of the Puerto Plata International Airport and Las Americas International Airport in April. The company was also allotted the operation of the Barahona and Samana airports which to date have no traffic.
Dominicans fully behind tourism
El Siglo/Penn, Schoen & Berland survey shows that 93% of Dominicans able to vote feel that the tourism industry is beneficial for the country. This perception is cross-country, varying little regardless the region, age, political inclination, socioeconomic or educational level. Dominicans favor tourism because it generates foreign exchange (53%), employment (38%) and infrastructure improvements (9%). Most negative effects of tourism were said to be: prostitution (52%), increase in drug trafficking (24%) and destruction of the environment (21%). Tourism has its strongest support among the younger sectors of the population. 96% of those 18-24 years old said that tourism was beneficial for the DR.
Travel agent event set for Punta Cana
The Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE 2000) will be held 23-25 March 2000 in Punta Cana. DATE 2000 is an event that will bring together leaders of the Dominican hospitality industry and qualified international travel buyers from around the world. A large number of Dominican hotel operators will be exhibiting and providing information on Dominican travel opportunities.
The National Association of Hotels & Restaurants and the Dominican Republic Tourism Promotion Council (CPT) are the organizers of the tourism marketing event that will take place at the new convention center of the Hotel Meliá Caribe.
The event has the organizational support of the Caribbean Hotel Association that is implementing a marketplace-type schedule. Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) US chapter travel agents are scheduled to meet with Dominican hotel marketers during the final three hours of the event.
Each exhibitor will be able to make product presentations that will complement the program of structured appointments.
For more information contact CHA at wpina@chahotels.com or the National Hotel & Restaurants Association at asonahores@codetel.net.do
Independence Day commemorative events
Sunday, 27 February, Independence Day.
10 am. Final report on the state of the nation by President Leonel Fernández. From Congress.
4 pm. Military Parade along the Malecon.
7 pm. Fireworks, merengue, grass roots music groups and dance show. Parque Juan Baron (facing the Parque Eugenio María de Hostos, Malecon. Starring: Toño Rosario, Raulín Rodríguez, Manuel Jiménez, Rubby Pérez, María Díaz, Ileana Reynoso. Choreography: Victor Ramírez.
Carnival Millennium 2000
The Ministry of Tourism and the Cervecería Nacional Dominicana (Presidente Beer) have joined efforts to present Carnival Millennium 2000.
Highlights of the Carnival this year are:
La Vega: Every Sunday in February. Av. Los Framboyanes. 3 pm. (Best carnival showing in the DR)
Moca. Every Sunday in February. Parque Cáceres 3 pm.
The Gran Gala Cerveza Presidente. Friday, 25 February at the Salon La Fiesta Hotel Jaragua at 9 pm. RD$350 per person. Important folklore gala with dance troupes from Mao, Santiago, La Vega, San Cristóbal, Bonao, Pimentel, Cotuí, San José de Ocoa, Tenares, Puerto Plata and Nagua. Children's presentation, Saturday, 26 February at 3 pm.
Santiago: 27 February. Av. Las Carreras. 3 pm.
5 March. Santo Domingo. Malecon parade. 2 pm.
Bonao: 12 March. Parque de Bonao. 3 pm.
Puerto Plata. 10-13 March. 12 March presentation of carnival figures from other areas of the country. Malecon. 3 pm.
Mao. 12 March. Calle Duarte. 3 pm

Presidente Beer is also sponsoring the participation of several well-known orchestras, with shows to be staged at the Avenida del Puerto.
The orchestras to perform there as of 9 pm are:
Cocoband (Friday, 25 February)
Sin Fronteras (Saturday, 26 February)
Eddy Herrera (Sunday, 27 February)
Rubby Pérez (Friday, 3 March)
Freddy Gerardo and Grupo Mío (Saturday, 4 March), Fernando Villalona and Los Toros Band-Grand Parade (Sunday, 5 March.)

Presidente beer is sponsoring costumes parties at the following cafes and bars:
Santo Domingo:
Monte Cristo Café, Wednesday, 23 February
Kassandra Café, Saturday, 26 February

Santiago
Francisfol, Friday, 25 February
Baha Club, Thursday, 2 March
More events worth attending
Victor Manuel & Ana Belén. 24 February. Gran Teatro Cibao. 8:30 pm. RD$400-RD$300. 25- 26 February. Teatro Nacional (Santo Domingo). 8:30 pm. RD$500-RD$300.
Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio. 3-4 March. 8:30 pm. Teatro Nacional. RD$500-RD$300.
Independence Boxing Cup
Boxers from 13 countries will participate in the Copa Independencia de Boxeo that opens 28 February at the Palacio de Deportes of Santiago de los Caballeros. President of the organizing committee, Marino Collante said that boxers will be coming from Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, US Virgin Islands, Colombia, US, Haiti, Canada and Guyana. The event will last through 3 March and will serve as preparatory event for important international competitions, such as the Olympic Games.
Vuelta Ciclística Independencia Nacional
Dominican cyclist Wendy Cruz of the Alico-DR team won the second stage of eight days of competitions that are part of the Vuelta Ciclística Independencia Nacional, a major cycling event in the Caribbean. He posted a time of 2:34.48 minutes for the 116 km distance, from Santo Domingo to La Romana. Hussein Monsalve of Venezuela was second; Steven Mluyeak of Miami, third. Today, the competitors will return to Santo Domingo. Cruz had won the first stage of the competition.
The grueling competition takes cyclists through most of the DR (1,145.4 kilometers) from 20-27 February. It is an officially sanctioned International Cycling Union race (see www.uci.ch)
For web site international coverage on this event, see www.cyclingnews.com
International teams have come from St. Martin, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Curaçao, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Panama, Honduras and several US states (New York, Florida, Illinois and Texas). Fourteen DR-based teams are also participating, for more than 200 cyclists. The race schedule is as follows:
Sunday, 20 February: 11 am. Closed circuit around Mirador del Sur Park (144 kms). Winner: Wendy Cruz (Dom)
Monday, 21 February: 10 am. Santo Domingo-Boca Chica-San Pedro de Macorís-La Romana (116 kms). Point of departure: Ministry of the Armed Forces-Plaza de la Bandera. Winner: Wendy Cruz (Dom)
Tuesday, 22 February: 9:30 am. La Romana-San Pedro de Macorís-Santo Domingo (120 kms). Point of departure: Parque Duarte in La Romana. Wednesday, 23 February: 9:30 am. Santo Domingo-Bonao (89 kms). 3 pm. La Vega-Santo Cerro-Jarabacoa (75 kms).
Thursday, 24 February: 9:30 am. La Vega-Bonao-Piedra Blanca-Cotuí-Pimentel-San Francisco de Macorís (150 kms)
Friday, 25 February: 9:30 am. Santiago-La Cumbre-Puerto Plata-Imbert-Navarrete-Mao (160 kms)
Saturday, 26 February: 9:30 am. Closed circuit Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración in Santiago (120 kms). Sunday, 27 February: 9:30 am. Santiago-
Bonao-Villa Altagracia-Santo Domingo (158 kms.)
Home  Message Archive  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003  2002  2001  2000  1999  1998  Premium News Service

The contents of this webpage are copyright © 1996-2008.  DR1. All Rights Reserved.