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Daily News - 10 March 2000
Power to be generated from Santo Domingo garbage
Lurgi Lejes Bischoff of Germany and Acres International and Interteck Consulting, of Canada, will work together to install a generator that uses garbage as fuel, as reported in El Caribe newspaper. During a press conference in Santo Domingo, engineer Pedro Robiou, serving as spokesman for the companies and Roberto Castillo Tió, technical secretary of the Municipality of Santo Domingo, announced that US$200 million will be invested in the 102-megawatt power plant. The plant will be fed garbage selected from the Duquesa landfill, where most of the garbage generated by Santo Domingo residents is dumped. The plant should be ready for operation in two years.
Authorities restrict government overspending
The Monetary Junta, the highest-ranking financial authority in the DR, pulled the breaks on government spending yesterday. The Monetary Junta issued a resolution that restricts government spending to the average for the last trimester of 1999 through 31 December 2000. The government is instructed to remove from circulation the excess government expenditure over the established average over the remaining nine months of the year. The Monetary Junta also launched 90-day certificates for RD$1,000 million to be purchased by commercial banks in order to reduce money in circulation. The government seeks to neutralize the effects of the drop in government revenue caused by the increase in petroleum prices.
Dominican relief forces to Mozambique
The government is sending a group of physicians to assist Mozambique flood victims. This is the first time the DR sends a relief mission to Africa. Mozambique is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific bloc of nations, signatory of the Lomé Convention, which the DR presides. The group will be head by General José de los Santos. On the Dominican mission are pediatricians, pneumatologists, epidemiologists and first aid specialists. In a ceremony at the National Palace, President Fernández said, "This gesture is modest, it is symbolic, we cannot pretend to resolve a disaster situation such as affects Mozambique, but it has a historic value, as it is the first time a Dominican mission travels to Africa to collaborate and provide humanitarian aid."
Travel agents commission reduced to 6%
The Civil Aviation Board accepted American Airlines request dated 5 January to reduce airline ticket commissions. The CAB reduced the commission from 10 to 6%, as requested by AA, the main carrier serving the Dominican Republic. Local travel agents had argued of the negative effects the reduction of the commission would have on their business, as well as the high profitability of AA operations to and from the DR.
Computers soon to be exempt from paying any tax?
The Chamber of Deputies moved yesterday on modifying Law 345-98 that establishes reduced taxes for computers in the DR. The modification would eliminate the need to pay the 8% ITBIS tax, making hardware, software, components, programs and computer accessories tax free. Deputy Pelegrín Castillo (FNP-National District) and Angela Jáquez (PRD-Santiago) presented the bill to this end. It is expected to pass in the Senate, too.
President Fernández to France-Cariforum summit
President Leonel Fernández traveled to Point-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe today, Friday, 10 March to attend a Caribbean Summit of Heads of State and Government. The President of France, Jacques Chirac is participating in the meetings. Trade with France, management of natural disasters, drug trafficking cooperation, development of agrochemical research, and cultural and sports exchanges discussions are on the agenda. President Fernández will be speaking on the new challenges of reducing social inequities in the 21st Century, and the gap between digital haves and have-nots.
He will be in Guadeloupe for about 24 hours.
He traveled with Minister of Foreign Relations Eduardo Latorre, Administrative Secretary Simón Lizardo, head of the National Drug Council Marino Vinicio Castillo, and the representative of Lomé in the DR, Max Puig.
New Mexican and Panamanian ambassadors
President Leonel Fernández received the credentials of Ambassador of Panama Alberto Castillero Pinilla and Ambassador of Mexico Amanda Mireya Terán Munguía. Ambassador Terán is a languages and Spanish literature graduate, who has been in the Mexican diplomatic corps since 1970. She was first sent abroad in 1998. Ambassador Alberto Castillero, a business administrator, has been a diplomat since 1994.
Political scientist on the DR success story
Visiting political scientist Howard Wiarda (http://www.csis.org/html/4wiarda.html)
attributed the outstanding Dominican growth to the diversification of the economy. He said the DR has five strong growth areas: tourism, free zones, telecommunications, remittances of Dominican living abroad, and construction that have added great dynamism to the local economy. He said a combination of political and economic stability has made the country attractive to foreign investors.
This is Wiarda's 24th visit to the DR. A Professor of the University of Massachusetts and the Center for Strategic International Studies of Washington, he has been a counselor to four US Presidents, Vice President George Bush, private foundations, companies and government agencies.
His relation with the DR began in 1962, when he traveled to Santo Domingo to research his doctoral thesis on the Trujillo Era. One of his sons was born in Santo Domingo.
In an interview with El Siglo, he said that his fascination with the DR is because it has all a political scientist loves to research: years of authoritarianism, years of democratical transition, US intervention, dependency, a modern and urban society and political stability that makes it attractive to foreign investors, plus its opening to global markets.
Wiarda will be speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Relations Diplomacy School tonight at 7 pm on "The US, Latin America and the Caribbean, International Relations in the 21st Century. To attend, call 535-6280 ext. 2303 and 2371.
Wiarda published an article on the Dominican Republic last year that can be read at
http://www.csis.org/americas/pubs/hemvii4.html
1,000 employees to do job of 300 at Chamber of Deputies
The President of the Chamber of Deputies admitted in an interview with Hoy newspaper that the Chamber of Deputies only needs 300 of its present 1,000 to operate efficiently. She said that the problem is that "everyone has a godfather", she says, referring to political patronage in Congress.
PRD most likely to win in second electoral round
The Partido Revolucionario Dominicano candidate is the favorite to win in case there is a second round during the 2000 presidential election. The March Hoy newspaper-Hamilton Beattie & Staff poll presented voters with three scenarios:
A PLD-PRSC alliance with Danilo Medina running for President: 38% Danilo Medina (PLD). 50% Hipólito Mejía (PRD). 12% undecided.
A PRSC-PLD alliance with Joaquín Balaguer running for President: 37% Joaquín Balaguer, 50% Hipólito Mejía, and 13% undecided.
A PRD-PRSC alliance with Hipólito Mejía running for President: 49% Hipólito Mejía, 28% Danilo Medina. 23% undecided.
42% of voters say PRD will win the election
The March Hoy newspaper-Hamilton Beattie & Staff poll showed that 42% of the population thinks that Hipólito Mejía will win the presidential election, while 26% thinks the PRSC will win and 21% the PLD. The same question was asked in January 2000 when the results were 41% PRD, 26% PRSC and 21% PLD; in October, with 55% PRD, 16% PRSC and 25% PLD; in September, with 50% PRD, 22% PLD and 17% PRSC.
The poll was carried out nationwide from 1 to 5 March.
District Attorney calls for tougher penalties for boat trip organizers
District Attorney Francisco Domínguez Brito urged that the judiciary apply maximum fines of 30 years jail sentences, with no bail to organizers of illegal boat trips for migrants. Former chief of the Navy, Victor García Alecón was successful at reducing these, but lenient judicial treatment of the organizers of the trip has not helped end the long list of tragedies. El Siglo newspaper asks whether the trips are the reflection of lack of opportunities at home or over earnestness to reach higher levels of personal wealth. Most of those attempting last Wednesday to reach Puerto Rico by boat paid RD$12,000 for the one-way ticket.
The Associated Press story on the tragic trip can be read at http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000308/wl/puerto_rico_dominican_drownings_2.html
Cuban music legends at National Theater
Some of the best of Cuban "son" music will be staged this evening at the National Theater. Raul Pérez Peña's "Festison" or Festival Caribeño del Son opens tonight, Friday, 10 March with a gala performance at the National Theater. Legends of Cuban music such as Pío Leyba, the Orquesta América and Caridad Hierrezuelo of the Buena Vista Social Club-fame will be on stage. Tickets RD$300. From the DR, Grupo Maniel. If you want to watch the elegant dance in movement, on Saturday, 11 March, the Pío Leyba, Orquesta América, Caridad Hierrezuelo, and Grupo Chichí, Los Soneros de Haina, Los Hermanos Heredia and Grupo Maniel will be playing at the Club de Ferreteros as of 8 pm.
Pedro Martínez to open SD game for Boston
Pedro Martinez will open for the Boston Red Sox versus the Houston Astros on Saturday, 11 March. This will be the first day of a two-day spring training exhibition series slated for Santo Domingo's Quisqueya Ball Park.
This is a chance to see Dominicans Pedro Martínez, Ramón Martínez, José Offerman, Wilton Veras, Manny Alexander, Israel Alcantara, Julio Santana and Juan Peña that are scheduled to play for Boston. As well as Nomar Garciaparra, Troy O'Leary, Carl Everett.
Dominicans José Lima, Octavio Dotel, Moisés Alou, Tony Eusebio, José Cabrera and Julio Lugo, Nelson Samboy and Omar Ramírez are scheduled to play for Houston. And Billy Wagner, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Ken Caminiti that will also play for Houston.
Tickets are for sale at the Quisqueya Ball Park. Ticket prices are: RD$1,000-RD$600 (box seats), RD$350 preferences, and RD$50 bleacher.
The games will be transmitted by radio and by Antena Latina, Channel 7 in the DR. In the US and Latin America the games may be seen by Univisión and Galavisión.
Prior to the games, the Major League ball players will give baseball clinics in the parking lot in front of the adjacent Teo Cruz Boxing Colliseum.
Carnival Millennium 2000 continues in Puerto Plata
Carnival ended in Santo Domingo on Sunday, but it now moves on to new interior towns. The Ministry of Tourism and the Cervecería Nacional Dominicana (Presidente Beer) announce presentations in Bonao (Park), Puerto Plata (Malecón) and Mao (Calle Duarte) on Sunday, 12 March at 3 pm. Fernando Villanueva, one of the most popular merengue band leaders of all times, will be performing in Puerto Plata on Sunday as part of the carnival closing celebrations.
"Story of merengue" staged in PP on Saturday
"Había una vez un merengue", the very successful rendering by merengue star Sergio Vargas, will be staged this Saturday, 11 March in Puerto Plata. The presentation is scheduled for the Fortaleza San Felipe at 8 pm. The merengue performance, that tells the story of the evolution of merengue in the Dominican Republic, is touring the Dominican Republic, sponsored by Baninter. After its successful opening at the National Theater in Santo Domingo, the spectacle has been presented in San Juan de la Maguana, Baní, San Pedro de Macorís, Santaigo de los Caballeros, and Moca. Following the Puerto Plata showing, the show will tour Villa Altagracia, San Francisco de Macorís, Santiago and then a final presentation in Santo Domingo.
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