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Daily News - 6 April 2000
Clinton replaces Fernandez in Gates meeting
Bill Gates, the world's richest man, replaced President Leonel
Fernandez with President Bill Clinton yesterday, having been bruptly called to Washington, D.C. to attend a hastily called meeting to discuss the prospects for financial markets and the "new economy," hosted by the U.S. chief executive. His appointment with Fernandez scotched, other Microsoft officials stood in for Gates, offering their apologies to the President.
The rest of Fernandez' Seattle schedule took place as planned and,
importantly, he signed the agreement whereby Microsoft will invest US$13 million in the Cybernetic Park, whose opening is scheduled for the waning days of his presidency in August. CEO Steve Ballmer signed for Microsoft, which will establish a permanent training center in the park, and offer 3,000 scholarships. Plans call for the giant software company to collaborate with the government in combating intellectual piracy. Presented with a Microsoft-emblazoned cap, Fernandez proudly pointed to the label, "Made in
the Dominican Republic." You see," he said, "we're everywhere." The cap had been produced in the Villa Altagracia free zone.
Before leaving Seattle for Washington, D.C., Fernandez toured the Microsoft Museum as well as a Boeing assembly plant. He also visited the Center for Internet Studies at University of Washington where he spoke to a gathering about his plans for technological education, and signed a technical support agreement. The Center's director hailed him as "a strong leader of vision."
PNUD report strikes responsive chord
Powerful voices have joined the United Nations Development Program (PNUD)in discerning the need for a reallocation of the country's GNP in support of social welfare programs. Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, Archbishop of Santo Domingo, stated that PNUD report titled "Overcoming Human Poverty," which was released yesterday, reflected "indisputable reality," in claiming that state expenditures tilt in favor the middle and upper classes to the detriment of poor people. The report's call for a boost in expenditures for social welfare from the current 6% or 7% to 14% of GNP is appropriate, said the Catholic prelate.
Each of the major political parties also aligned themselves with the PNUD findings. The PRD candidate, Hipolito Mejia, declared that the report confirms that the government's claim of having achieved unprecedented levels of macro-economic growth is "farcical." Mejia noted that the PNUD report echoes an earlier one prepared by the International Development Bank, which posited similar conclusions concerning the widening breech between rich and poor.
The PRSC, too, found confirmation in the PNUD report of its own contentions. "The government has forgotten poor people," according to Jacinto Peynado, the PRSC vice-presidential candidate and Luis Toral, its national campaign manager. In a PRSC government, they said, "the bulk of the state's resources" would be devoted to housing, health, education and environmental programs.
For his part, Danilo Medina, presidential candidate of the ruling PLD party, promised that social welfare programs would merit 55% of the budget of a Medina administration, representing some 12% of GNP.
Elections chief "snub" irks congress
"A slap in the face of the Dominican people," was how a PPC member of the Chamber of Deputies described it. "Arrogant," "self-important," and "intemperate," were a few of the other adjectives bestowed by outraged legislators on Central Elections Board President (JCE) Ramon Morel Cerda for returning to his office when no legislators appeared for a scheduled meeting. "If I'm invited to appear at 10:00 a.m., and my hosts don't appear at 10:00 a.m., I march. I've got things to do," said Morel Cerda when quizzed by reporters on his behavior yesterday.
The JCE official had been invited to respond to legislators'questions regarding his powerful organization's readiness to conduct the May 16th elections and to clarify issues raised by the recent test of voter registration roster accuracy. His behavior was justified by a PRD party deputy as reflecting "a man with a strict notion of life who's always punctual."
Another deputy said that Morel Cerda's action demonstrates a need to conceal the "big mess" within the JCE, while the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Rafaela Albuquerque, described his action "babyish," and "grandstanding." But she added that a new invitation will be issued.
SD traffic problems attributed to poor planning
The Director of Urban Transit for the National District (i.e., Santo Domingo and environs) attributed the principal cause of problems with traffic in the capital's to the plethora of organizations charged with regulating it. Speaking at a seminar titled "Transportation in the Dominican Republic, "Deligne Ascencion enumerated seven entities authorized to regulate the use
of the city's streets. In addition to his own office, these are the Santo Domingo Technical Office of Street Transit, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Metropolitan Office of Bus Service, National Police Department's Transit Office, General Directorate of Street Transit, and the Red Cross (in emergency situations).
These overlapping jurisdictions are responsible for a waste of resources, time, and manpower, according to Ascencion. Other root causes of SD's traffic snarls are the unplanned concentration of the city within just 20 square kilometers, poor distribution of governmental offices which cluster together in just two densely trafficked neighborhoods, the concentration of 50% of the nation's vehicles in the 3.5% of the country's geography that comprises the National District. As solutions, Ascencion and other seminar
speakers proposed unification and centralization of traffic control, decentralization of government offices, restriction of routes and hours for use of the streets by heavy vehicles.
Investors offer US$1.5 billion for power plants
Private investors have asked for government authorization to install a series of generator plants which could, when fully operative, generate 2,000 additional megawatts daily. Current daily demand ranges around 1,600 megawatts, but seldom achieves that level of generation due to variety of causes. The cost of the combined projects ascends to US$1.5 billion, and includes 13 plants with a capacity to produce between 50 and 320 megawatts,
along with the rehabilitation of the Itabo and Haina complexes. Some of these projects contemplate completion in 2003 and are nothing more than proposals on paper being reviewed by the Superintendent of Electricity. Others are nearer at hand, including a 50 megawatt unit being installed in Boca Chica at a cost of US$40 million by Maxon Corporation, a barge acquired in Malaysia that will produce 100 megawatts, to be moored likewise near Boca
Chica. If approved by the Superintendent, the year's end should see the rehabilitation of the Itabo and Haina systems, adding another 220 megawatts. Plans call for the installation of a further investment of US315 million to produce 450 megawatts in 2001, and another US$586 million to install 520 more megawatts.
The announcement brings small comfort to a population continuing to suffer blackouts for up to 12 hours. The Superintendent of Electricity informed the public that the nation's hydroelectric plants, with an installed capacity of 401 megawatts managed to produce just 118 megawatts yesterday. Power supply was unable to keep with demand as 51 of 224 electrical circuits were out of
service for maintenance, while another 45 are unable to function due to a lack of power, according to the superintendent.
Lack of English teachers critical
Alexis Algarrobo, head of the Ministry of Education's English Division, stated that a 70% deficiency in English teachers is crippling government plans to convert more public schools into bilingual institutions. As a result, the Ministry is taking unprecedented measures to plug the deficiency of English teachers in public schools. For the first time ever it has signed an agreement with the Instituto Cultural Dominico-Americano (ICDA) to
re-train 300 licensed teachers as English teachers. ICDA is an educational, cultural and counseling organization, with centers in SD and Santiago, jointly sponsored by the U.S. and DR governments.
Other measures being contemplated include; overseas recruitment of
English-speaking teachers, a campaign to encourage English-speaking
Dominicans living in the U.S. to "come home" to teach, and negotiations with U.S. universities to send senior students as "teaching interns." Just three of the nation's universities offer English teaching preparative degree programs, while English is a required subject in Dominican public schools.
Spain will construct frontier market
The Spanish government will pay for, and the Spanish entity "Green
Caribbean," will construct, a plaza to host commercial fairs and the heavy informal commercial contacts along the Haitian border. Other NGO's will also contribute to the project, estimated by Listin Diario, to be budgeted at around US! Million.
Frontier trade is briskly conducted by hundreds of merchants in the frontier cities of Dajabon in the north, and Jimani and Pedernales in the south. Popular twice weekly fairs will be staged in the new plaza. At such events are traded such agricultural staples as rice, flour, beans, onions, and bananas; also food products such as beer, soft drinks, bottled water, refined sugar, pastas, salami and dried coconut; and manufactured goods such as motor oil, lubricants, outboard motors, batteries and building materials.
Recent political instability in the neighboring republic and the attempts by Dominican authorities to control illegal immigration along the 360 kilometer frontier, have slowed trade however. Fausto gomera, head of the Dominican Center for Promotion of Exports in Pedernales, claims that frontier trade has dropped by 50% in this year's first trimester. Official statistics are scarce, but its estimated that frontier trade brings several hundred million
dollars to the DR annually, the bulk being realized at the border crossing in Pedernales.
Leon Jimenez Group contributes 9.6% of state income
During last year, the E. Leon Jimenez Company paid over RD$3,859 (around 240US$ million) in taxes to the Dominican state. This represents close to 10% of the total income of the state for the year.
The Leon Jimenez Company brews and distributes beer, manufactures cigars and various food stuffs. It also holds the Phillip Morris franchise for the DR, whereby it produces millions of packs of Marlboro cigarettes. The Company's Communications Director, Teodoro Hidalgo, said that its products continue to see an increase in sales, and are now being marketed beyond the DR's borders.
Moroccan princess vacations in La Romana
The sister of Moroccan King Mohamed IV arrived Sunday on a "private visit." Princess Lala Hasna, accompanied by her daughter but without official entourage, dismounted from a private jet at La Romana's Punta Aguila Airfield, and was sped away in a late model Lexus to an undisclosed location in the luxurious Casa de Campo resort. Although a Listin Diario photographer captured an image of the princess, dressed in a white blouse and black slacks through a long distance lens, reporters were kept at a distance as she was received by staff of the resort. Royal visitors to the super private villa enclave of Casa de Campo are no rarity, but even the official representative of the Foreign Affairs Office sent to manage the protocol were put to some pains to get near.
Dominicans qualify for Davis Cup
The DR qualified in the elimination round for Group II of the Americas Division of the Davis Cup, along the Dutch Antilles. Eight countries competed in the matches held this weekend in Kingston, Jamaica. Captain Rafael Moreno led a six man team to victory over Puerto Rico, with a 2-1 score in the final singles match, having previously knocked out Bolivia in the mixed doubles.
Errata
Yesterday's edition failed to identify Vice Admiral Rafael De Jesus Monzon Brea, as the Navy Chief of Staff. Also it incorrectly named Marcos Subero Isa Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The incumbent is Jorge Subero Isa.
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