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Daily News - 31 January 2001
US$100 million IDB loan for social programs
The Dominican government has secured a US$100 million loan with the Interamerican Development Bank for the so-called "paquetazo social," or social programs intended to buffer the effects of the price increases caused by the launching of a major tax increases program at the start of January, as reported in the Listin Diario. Reportedly, the loan establishes a 18-month disbursement period. It was requested at the start of the new government, given the low financial reserves situation caused by months of the government not passing on to consumers the increases in the price of petroleum in international markets.
The President has advanced that the government will put into place a RD$10,000 million social program. The Technical Secretary of the Presidency, Rafael Calderon has said that the program will focus on promoting an increase in farm produce and on activities that will reduce unemployment. The plan supposedly will be announced on Thursday. The Presidency says that experts from Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico and Spain have consulted with the government to create the social program.
Government fiscal surplus for end 2000
Fiscal operations of the government in the last four months of 2000 show a surplus of RD$166.7 million, or RD$17,773.1 in income compared to RD$17,606.4 million disbursements. The National Budget Office provided the information.
Aviation link for illegal travel was known
The Listin Diario reports that the Director of Migration Trajano Moreta Cuevas had alerted national security authorities of the trafficking with illegal travelers through the Herrera Airport. Passengers were illegally leaving the country on board flights from the Santo Domingo airport to Caribbean islands. Moreta said that the authorities knew of the situation prior to the disclosure of the problem by the crash of a small airplane into a mountain in Tamboril, Santiago province.
The pilot, who died in the accident, had reported only one passenger. When rescuers reached the plane, they were surprised to find five other persons were on board. Furthermore, it was revealed that the pilot had reported a false name for himself, and two flight plans. One established that the plane was headed for the Puerto Plata International Airport. They other, that it was headed for Nassau, Bahamas.
Investigations into the case continue.
Embassies in Norway, Sweden, Jamaica and T&T
The Ministry of Foreign Relations reported the government will open and staff permanent embassies in Oslo (Norway), Stockholm (Sweden), Kingston, (Jamaica) and Port of Spain (Trinidad & Tobago). Likewise, the Ministry reports the start of formal relations with Macedonia, Ukraine and Andorra.
The Ministry also announced that it is moving on the opening of embassies in Africa and on the establishing of diplomatic relations with Croatia, Belarus and Slovakia. It also announced that citizens of those countries, as well as Lithuania, will now be able to travel to the DR without visa. They will only be required to purchase a tourist card for US$10 at the port of entry.
Universidad O&M honors President Mejia
The Universidad Dominicana Organizacion y Metodos bestowed an honorary doctorate to President Hipolito Mejia. The award ceremony was part of the regular graduation of the Santo Domingo university. The President received the honorary degree from Dr. Jose Rafael Abinador, rector of the Universidad O&M. Dr. Abinader is also senator for the ruling party for Santiago de los Caballeros.
President orders government money be deposited in Reservas
President Hipolito Mejia ordered the fulfillment of the government order dating back to June 1997 that instructs all government departments, be they autonomous or central, to deposit state funds in the government commercial bank, Banco de Reservas. President Mejia ordered by way of official letter 2415 that the Controller General of the Republic supervise the fulfillment of the order and report to the Presidency any departments that may be in violation.
Mission to study frontier limits
The Ministry of Foreign Relations has instructed a new commission to study the installation of the missing small piles that have marked the frontier between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. With the years, most of these have disappeared. Commission members are Jose B. Gautier, Wenceslao Guerrero Pou, William Perez Piantini, Salvador Bienvenido Brower, Ignacio Caraballo, and the director of the Military Cartographic Institute. The commission will report to the Ministry its findings within 45 days.
The Ministry of Foreign Relations says that the markers will respect limits established by the 1929 and 1936 treaties signed with Haiti.
RD$75 million to improve six ports
The government announced an investment of RD$75 million to improve ports in Azua, Barahona and Pedernales in the Southwest; San Pedro de Macoris in the Southeast; Boca Chica and Haina Oriental in the South; and Sabana de la Mar in the East. Anibal Garcia Duverge, executive director of the Dominican Port Authority, made the announcement. He said that the money will be invested to make the ports more efficient and enhance security.
US$30 million to contain peso devaluation
El Caribe newspaper points out that not all the members of the Monetary Board were in agreement with the Central Bank decision to inject US$30 million into the money markets to contain the devaluation of the peso. Several members of the board favored letting the peso float to reach its own level. The peso was sold in commercial banks last week for upwards of RD$17.50. The Central Bank has announced its intention to stabilize the peso at the RD$16.6 mark. Commercial banks are now buying at around the RD$16.6 level.
Government Corruption Department announces new investigator
The Department for the Prevention of Corruption announced the appointment of lawyer Martires Cirilo Quiñones as new director of investigations. The former director, Frener Bello Arias resigned, together with two other department investigators, and two other department employees. Bello Arias, a captain of the Police was assigned new duties by the chief of the Police. Felix Jimenez, director of the Corruption Department accused Bello Arias of lack of loyalty and dishonesty.
Who will be the Ombudsman?
El Caribe newspaper reports that the Executive Branch has a week to sign into law the bill that creates the post of Ombudsman. As per the bill passed by Congress on 29 December 2000, the Ombudsman is an independent authority who will remain in the post for six years. The main role of the Ombudsman is to safeguard citizens' rights and help them in cases where these are violated by government bodies. The newspaper proposes several candidates for the post: Enrique Armenteros, Juan Sully Bonelly, Danilo Caraballo, Jorge Cela, Erwin Cruz Bournigal, Flavio Dario Espinal, Lorenzo Fermin Cabral, Aura Celeste Fernandez, Rafael Tomas Hernandez, Antonio Isa Conde, Eduardo Latorre, Persio Maldonado, Felix Olivares, Juan Manuel Pellerano, Nicolas Pichardo, Luis Quinn, Rosanna Reyes, Mu-Kien Sang Ben, Rafael Damares Toribio, Manuel Arsenio Ureña, Ramon Antonio Veras.
Merchants against new formula for consular invoice
Ivan de Jesus Garcia, president of the Federacion Dominicana de Comerciantes, a leading union of storeowners, opposes the proposal of the Mejia administration to change the present form of consular invoice for a US$100 stamp. The stamp will require the legalization by the consul in the city where the export originates. García says that the measure will make even more tedious and bureaucratic the present trade procedure. "It will do no good to eliminate the consular invoice if it is replaced by other procedures to legalize the stamp as has been announced," he said.
He denounced that the consular invoice is only used today by two countries in Latin America: Bolivia and the Dominican Republic. He said that the other countries have discarded it as it is but an anachronism out of context with the modernization of these countries.
As these nations have advanced, they are aware it is but an obstacle, corroborated Horacio Alvarez, executive director of the Dominican Association of Exporters.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the new mechanism proposed by the Mejia administration will not annul the participation of the consul, as the latter is required to revise the consular invoice, stamp it and legalize it so that merchandise can be dispatched to the DR.
The new stamp will cost US$100 and the legalization an additional US$30, as reported in Hoy newspaper.
Winner of National Literature Award announced
Ministry of Culture and the Corripio Foundation announced that Carlos Esteban Deive is the winner of the 2000 Award. The award comes with a RD$300,000 cash prize. The award ceremony will take place on 26 February at the National Theater.
Important hotel trade event set for March
The Dominican Republic's Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE 2001) will be held at Casa de Campo Hotel & Resort in La Romana 29-31 March 2001. DATE 2001 provides the opportunity for decision-makers representing international wholesalers, tour operators, incentive buyers, airline and charter operators to meet with more than 150 Dominican suppliers to discuss tourism development partnerships. The National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (ASONAHORES) and the Dominican Republic Tourism Promotion Council (CPT) organize the event in collaboration with the Caribbean Hotel Association.
Plaza Lama opens its largest store
President Hipolito Mejia, accompanied by First Lady Rosa Gomez de Mejia, cut the symbolic ribbon to open the Plaza Lama 27 de Febrero flagship store. Their hosts were storeowners Mario Lama and Elsa Haché de Lama. The supermarket-appliances-clothing and footwear complex has 20,000 square meters, parking space for 1,000 cars, and employs 1,600. The store first opened in 1929.
What has caused the death of the fish in Hatillo?
The government ordered an in depth investigation into the possible causes of the death of thousands of fish in the Hatillo Dam. Samples of the affected waters and fish have been sent to the Marine Biology and Chemistry Departments of the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, the state university. A greasy stain is suspect of causing the poisoning of the waters of the 50 square kilometer artificial lake that with its 8,000 million gallons of water is considered the largest reservoir of non-salted water in the Caribbean.
Costa Rica ambassador considers retiring in DR
Hoy newspaper carries an interview with Costa Rica Ambassador Mario Garnier and his wife Isabel Chavez. The couple says they feel at home in the DR. "We will be here on official duty until year 2002, when a new President of Costa Rica will be elected, and the cabinet changes," he told Hoy newspaper. But, he said, "We are considering staying to live here, because there are few places like this to live."
As ambassador, Garnier seeks to reinforce tourism and start a joint program to sell the two destinations in one package to tourists: Dominican Republic as a beach destination and Costa Rica as an ecological destination. He also said he is lobbying so that the Dominican Congress passes the free trade agreement with Central America.
This is Garnier's second time as ambassador to the Dominican Republic. He was appointed ambassador in 1994, prior to similar service in Chile. At the time he did not complete the minimum two-year term and convinced the Costa Rican government to send him back.
The Costa Rican ambassadors' youngest daughter, Silvia and son-in-law Alejandro Stavropoulous live in the DR.
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