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Daily News - 24 January 2001
President Mejia catches "paquetazo gripal"
President Hipolito Mejia suspended his activities yesterday afternoon to visit ear, nose and throat specialist Eduardo Mejía at the Centro de Otorinolaringología yesterday. He suspended his participation in the formal opening of the casino at the Santana Beach Resort, and at a meeting with La Vega authorities regarding the construction of the Manabao Dam in Jarabacoa.
The President said he is suffering from a virus, which he named, "paquetazo gripal" in reference to his recently passed tax package and forthcoming social package to soften the effects of the new taxes on the lower brackets.
The doctor recommended the President take the afternoon off, which he did, reportedly working from home. Press director, Luis Gonzalez Fabra said the President, who has described himself as a "workaholic," would be back on the job today.
New pay days for government employees
The Mejia administration announced that government pay days as of February will be the 10th and 25th of each month. Originally, President Mejia had announced the government would pay on the 15 and 30. Prior to the change, the government had paid once a month, on the 25th.
The Banco de Reservas, the government bank in charge of the payments, had requested the payments be rescheduled to the 10th and 25th to avoid bottlenecks.
The administrator of the Bank, Manuel Lara Hernández announced the installation of cash card systems for payment of government payrolls in order to save the about RD$12 million cost in paper and personnel of each pay day.
Discrimination in import authorizations
President Hipólito Mejía recently firmly announced his government opposes farm produce imports. The bans have affected industries that use sugar as raw material, and consumers are paying higher prices for sugar and other farm items due primarily to speculation caused by the produce scarcity.
But Minister of Agriculture Eligio Jaquez justified one known import of 500 tons of garlic on a recent Channel 5 TV show. Ironically, the permit of the Ministry of Agriculture authorizing the import explains the import would be made for the Hermandad de las Fuerzas Armadas supermarket. General Yege Arismendy, of the Armed Forces cooperative, said the garlic never reached the supermarket, as the later was closed due to bankruptcy prior to when the authorization was placed.
Rafael Santana, in the El Siglo newspaper, comments on the response of Minister Jaquez to a journalist request as to why the Mejia government authorized the import of the garlic to an alleged business advisor of President Mejia when imports are banned. To justify the import, Minister Jaquez said "that business advisor of the President Mejia worked hard during the campaign, and that is little compared to what he deserves."
The same beneficiary of the millionaire import of garlic was director of the Instituto de Estabilización de Precios (INESPRE) during a Balaguer administration.
Case of Haitian beggars reddressed
Minister of Foreign Relations Hugo Tolentino Dipp urged the assistance of Dominican authorities to regularize the situation of the many children and Haitian women that beg at corners of leading Dominican avenue intersections. The press has expressed concern for the safety of the Haitian children and mothers with children in arms that many times aggressively throw themselves on vehicles seeking a few pesos. The Minister says he has received reports that the Haitians are positioned at the corners and later picked up by organized groups and requested a definite solution to the problem by the corresponding Dominican authorities.
The Minister spoke during the signing of a document with the Red de Encuentro Dominico-Haitiano Jacques Viau (Redh) agreeing to analyze and discuss proposals for a new migration bill between both countries.
Olaya Dotel, secretary of the organization, denounced the Dominican military posted at the frontier accepts deals with human contraband groups. She rejected though that her organization help Dominican authorities in the case of the increasing number of illegal Haitians that are arriving to beg at street corners in the city of Santo Domingo.
During the signing of the agreement at the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Dominican authorities confirmed the government would comply with the Interamerican Human Rights Court regarding seven Haitian or Dominican-Haitians whose whereabouts are unknown. Also proposed was the carrying out of a survey to objectively quantify the number of foreigners in the DR.
Joint venture for construction of advanced medicine centers
The Dominican government signed an agreement with a US group, Mapet International Foundation for the construction of four advanced medical centers. A US$520 million investment will be made in the centers that should be operational in 18 to 24 months, as reported by Hoy newspaper.
The new centers are:
1) General Trauma, Emergency Medicine and Nuestra Señora de Fátima Hospital in Santiago. US$325 million.
2) Maternity-Children Hospital and Mario Antonio Perez Tapia Nursing School in La Vega. US$78.7 million
3) Cancer, AIDS and Contagious Sicknesses Hospital. US$112 million. 4) National Blood Center Dominicano (blood bank, laboratory, dialysis center). US$3.5 million. This will operate in collaboration with the Blood Bank of South Florida.
As per the agreement, Mapet International Foundation will administer the hospitals for 25 years, after which they will become Dominican government property. Mapet will fund the construction and equipping of the hospitals, and the Dominican government will provide the property where they will be built and will exempt the organizations from all taxes on equipment, materials used for the operation of the projects.
Mario Pérez, who signed for Mapet, announced construction works would start 15 February. The agreement, though, is pending congressional approval.
The agreed upon privileges could become controversial, especially since several businessmen have invested millions, paying taxes, to build new large medical centers in Santiago.
Former President Fernandez to appear in court
Former President Leonel Fernandez will appear tomorrow at 10 am at the Juzgado de Instrucción de Primera Instancia del Distrito Nacional as a witness in the case for corruption regarding his government's welfare program, Programa Eventual Minimo de Empleo (PEME). The judiciary has incarcerated the program's former director, Luis Ynchausti, and former administrative secretaries of the Presidency, Diandino Peña and Simón Lizardo, in addition to former budget director Haivanjoe Ng Cortiñas have bans from traveling abroad.
Judge Esther Agelan Casasnovas will question the former chief of state.
Dallas medical mission
A medical mission from the Life Enhancement Association for People Foundation of Dallas, Texas visited again for surgery this time at the San Isidro Air Force Base hospital. This marked LEAP's 11th year of service to the people of the Dominican Republic. As part of a joint effort between the government, Corazones Unidos (a Dominican foundation caring for children born with special needs), and LEAP, a team of volunteers provided free surgical care for underprivileged children born with deformities, others with burn scarring and dysfunctional extremities.
For more information on this group, see http://www.leap-foundation.org
Aguilas vs. Escogido
The playoffs start today in Santo Domingo with the first game scheduled for 8 pm at the Quisqueya Ball Park. The Aguilas Cibaeñas will match the Escogido Lions for the 2000-2001 penchant. This is the ninth time the Aguilas and Escogido reach the finals of a Dominican baseball winter championship. The Aguilas and Escogido are tied to four victories each when meeting in a playoff.
The Escogido is the favorite to win the title. The Escogido won the semi-finals, 14 wins to 4 losses. The Aguilas finished with nine wins and nine losses.
The lineup for the Escogido is: Jose Herrera (LF), Neifi Perez (SS), David Ortiz (1B), Jose Guillen (RF), J. Encarnacion (CF), Juan Melo (3B), Jayson Bass (BD), Jesse Levis (C), Enrique Wilson (2B). On the pitching staff: K. Tolar, J. Lima, A. Telemaco. The Aguilas lineup: Luis Polonia (LF), Miguel Tejada (SS), Tony Batista (3B), Andy Barkett (RF), Raul Mondesi (BD), Guillermo Garcia (1B), Mario Encarnacion (CF), Alberto Castillo (C), Felix Martinez (2B). Aguilas pitchers include: C. Vargas, M. Vargas, F. Hernandez.
The games schedule is:
24 January. Quisqueya. 8 pm.
25 January. Cibao. 8 pm
26 January. Quisqueya. 8 pm
27 January. Cibao. 8 pm
28 January. Quisqueya. 4 pm
29 January. Cibao. 4 pm
30 January. Quisqueya. 8 pm
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