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Daily News - 17 March 2000
Government cuts expenses in half
The director of the National Planning Office says that the government has cut its expenses in half by reducing its advertising, fuel and administrative expenditures as part of a an austerity plan to compensate for the increase in fuel prices. Rafael Camilo, director of ONAPLAN, said that the increase in fuel prices has wiped out the differential between taxes on fuel consumption and the actual cost of fuel. He said the government's priority is to complete the major construction projects at present underway before August 2000.
Romero needs to resign from Ministry of Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture Amilcar Romero will have to resign his post once the Junta Central Electoral accepts his candidacy for the vice presidency on the Partido de la Liberación Dominicana ticket. Dominican electoral law establishes the incompatibility of a government post with running for vice president or president. While he is suspended from the post, he may retain his salary until the day after the election. If he is not elected, he may resume his previous post. Senators Milagros Ortiz Bosch (running for vice president for the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano) and José Gonzalez Espinosa, running for president on the Partido de los Trabajadores Dominicanos ticket, may remain in their posts as they were elected to those posts.
Luxury vehicle contraband uncovered
The Customs Department announced the uncovering of contraband of 23 luxury vehicles stolen in the US and that entered the DR by way of the frontier with Haiti. The vehicles were discovered in a joint operation with the National Army. They entered the DR with false documents. The The contraband includes jeeps, pick-ups and luxury cars. They were stolen in the US and transported to Haiti from where they were exported to the DR. The Customs Department transferred the case to the National Police and the judiciary departments for investigations.
GTE announces relocation of Carlos Espinal
Fares Salloum, senior vice president for international operations of GTE, announced the relocation of Codetel president Carlos Espinal to Argentina. In Argentina, Espinal will direct a cellular operations unit of GTE, CTI.
Compañía de Telefonos del Interior (CTI), a GTE-led consortium, provides cellular services in the north and south interior regions of Argentina - areas with a total addressed population of 16.5 million. GTE, as operator, has a 58.5 percent ownership interest in CTI. During 1999, CTI had a 37 percent increase in its customer base and, as of December 31, 1999, CTI served 809,298 cellular subscribers.
In June 1999, GTE won one of two 40 MHz Personal Communications System wireless telephone licenses for Buenos Aires, giving GTE subsidiaries full country-wide wireless coverage of Argentina. GTE is currently constructing a CDMA network to serve Buenos Aires and expects to launch service during the first half of 2000. Espinal will be responsible for introducing the PCS digital services in Buenos Aires.
Espinal was appointed president of Codetel on 1 November 1997. Espinal is one of the Codetel presidents to have lasted the least on the job. Codetel directors before him remained at least four years on the post. The company said that Espinal will continue on the post until his successor is appointed.
Codetel's reputation for excellence in service has suffered in recent years as the company reduced the quality of its services as perceived by customers apparently to maintain the high profitability levels of years prior to the Internet.
The new Codetel president will arrive at a time when Codetel faces new competition in the Dominican market from major telecommunications players, such as Centennial Communications Corporation and France Telecom.
Codetel is owned and operated by GTE. The company is by far the market leader in the Dominican Republic, providing local, wireless and national and international long-distance telephone service in the Dominican Republic. The company served approximately 701,000 access lines, 244,000 cellular customers and 127,000 paging customers as of 31 December 1999.
Tricom opens NYC office
Tricom, the second largest telecommunications company operating in the DR, opened its New York City operations last week. Sammy Sosa cut the symbolic ribbon inaugurating the new office that is located at 1533 St. Nicholas Avenue, between 186 and 187 streets. It will be open from 9 am to 8 pm Monday to Friday, and Saturdays, from 9 am to 4 pm. The office will allow Dominican residents in New York to contract Tricom residential lines, pre-paid Amigo cellular cards, and purchase pre-paid phone cards.
Monte Cristi DA accuses chauffeur of senator of illegal trip organization
The District Attorney of Monte Cristi, Elvis Muñoz Sosa sent Pedro Ortega (alias Hitler) to justice accused of being involved in the organization of illegal boat trips. Ortega is the chauffeur of Monte Cristi senator Bernardo Hernán (UD-Monte Cristi). The Monte Cristi DA said that Hernán backed his chauffeur in the lucrative business of promoting the illegal trips. Pedro Ortega, who was signaled out by of a recent fatally ended trip to Puerto Rico. An arrest order is out for Ortega who is missing. At least 20 persons drowned during when a small boat carrying 70 persons capsized a short distance from the west coast of Puerto Rico earlier this month. Most of the travelers were from the province of Monte Cristi. Reportedly, they had paid RD$10,000-RD$15,000 for the one-way ticket. Relatives of the deceased, and the survivors, said that the promoters promised them the sky.
Mariasela and Jatnna confirm they will not take over Channel 9 evening show
Mariasela Alvarez and Jatnna Tavárez confirmed in a press conference yesterday that they will not be taking over the 10-11:30 pm Monday to Thursday-Punto Final evening spot of Color Visión, Channel 9. The spot was left vacant when Color Visión's leading producer, Freddy Beras Goico announced he was moving on to SuperCable, a new UHT channel yet to air.
News reports say that Channel 9 executives and the producers could not reach an agreement but remain on friendly terms. Some news reports say the negotiations stagnated on advertising revenue-sharing issues.
Mariasela denied that she will be leaving Color Visión all together. She has produced the "Esta noche Mariasela" spot on Sunday evenings on Color Visión for two years now. She said she would remain in that slot as long as it is convenient for the channel and for her.
Jatnna Tavárez said that she is studying offers from other channels. Executives of Color Visión were present at the press conference, and they confirmed that it is possible that Rafael Corporán de los Santos, Roberto Salcedo and Televisa would be filling the Punto Final slot with a Socorro Castellanos production.
Land Rover Road Show
Autobritánica announces its Road Show: The Land Rover Experience. 4 x 4 Driving. Presenting Steven McCaethy, Daphne Greene, Bob Burns, Brian Smith, Cesar E. Calvo, Eduardo Eisenmann. Saturday, 18 March and Sunday, 19 March from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Ciudad Modelo, Av. Jacobo Majluta, Santo Domingo. The pilots are experts in events such as the Camel Trophy, Formula 1 and Land Rover Expeditions. Free admission.
Latin Jazz at the Hotel Jaragua
Nestor Torres presents a night of Latin Jazz at the Hotel Jaragua. "Treasures of the Heart" is the title of the show to be presented by the well-known Puerto Rican flute-player at the Salón La Fiesta this 18 March at 9 pm.
Nestor Torres has performed previously in the DR in the Heineken Latin Jazz Festival.
For information and tickets, call 227-0885, 221-1435.
Best of Spanish opera at the National Theater
"La del Manojo de Rosas", a Spanish opera by Pablo Sorozabal will be presented 17 March at the National Theater. This "zarzuela" is considered a classic of Spanish art, and is a story of love, jealousy, and deception taking place in Madrid. Over 90 artists will be on the stage. Tickets are available at the National Theater box office.
Festival Internacional de Cine de Santo Domingo
The Santo Domingo Film Festival is showing at the Cinema Center (1-2) movie theaters. Films from Spain, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Germany, and Cuba will be participating. Among the films are: El Valle, Venezuela, by Gustavo Balza.
En Brazos de la mujer madura, by Manuel Lombardero
El cometa, by Marisa Sistach
Quien diablo es Julieta, by Carlos Marcovich.
Das Trio, Hermine Hunfgel (Germany)
Cuba Libre, by David Riondino
El dia que murió el silencio, (Bolivia) by Paola Agazzi.
Un Hombre de éxito, by Humberto Solás (Cuba).
Hasta cierto punto, by Tomas Galea (Cuba).
Las profecías de Amdana, by Pastor Vega (Cuba).
Se permuta y plaff, by Juan Carlos Tabio (Cuba).
Dios y el diablo en la tierra del sol, by Glauber Rocha (Brazil).
Orchids exhibition this weekend
The Dominican Orchidology Society announces its spring time exhibition/competition of orchids. The exhibition will be open to the public 17-19 March at the Botanical Gardens. The orchid growers will be competing for 26 prizes. The Botanical Gardens are open 9 to 5 pm.
Theater at the Sala Ravelo
"Las Damas de las Camelias, of Spanish playwright Ramón Pareja" will be staged at the National Theater's Sala Ravelo on 16-19 March and 23-26 March.
Paul Taylor Dance Company
The Paul Taylor Dance Company (www.ptdc.org) will perform in Santo Domingo 24 and 25 March at the National Theater. The group will perform in a benefit for the Fundacion Mir in La Romana. Fundación Ritmos por la Danza brings this company to Santo Domingo. The company has toured 650 cities in 60 countries and was appointed cultural ambassador of the United States in the program Millennium Council of the White House.
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