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Daily News - 12 February 2001
20% of accidents are caused by heavy vehicles
This morning's Hoy newspaper states that the National Insurance Association's figures indicate that 100,000 vehicular accidents were
recorded last year and that 20% involve trucks, principally 18-wheelers. The high rate of traffic accidents attributable to heavy vehicles on
the nation's roads and highways is alarming. In Santo Domingo alone,
in the year 2000, heavy vehicles caused 5,219 accidents, according to Luis Pina, director of the agency for ground transport, Oficina Nacional de Transito Terrestre. The greatest number of accidents was
reported in April, 643 followed by February with 537. With a view to
reducing these numbers, Pina said that his office would create a special
lane for such vehicles. He also plans to establish strict speed limits
and will introduce mental and physical check-ups for truck drivers, to make certain that they are fit for their jobs.
US$800 million in reserve
Carlos Despradel, ex-Governor of the Central Bank and current member
of the Monetary Board, said yesterday on a TV program that the country's
reserves currently exceed US$800 million. The reserves had been reduced
in 2000 because the government then in power chose to absorb the costs
of the increment in world petroleum prices and not pass them along to
consumers in an election year.
Many in pursuit of government jobs
This morning's Hoy newspaper writes that almost all those who attended
the Peña Gomez Seminar, presided over by Vice President Milagros
Ortiz Bosch, rose to their feet when she asked how many of the assembled
PRD Party leaders were unemployed. In the aftermath, the Vice President,
who is also the Ministry of Education, was compelled to leave the meeting
due to the ensuing chaos her question produced. The meeting, attended
by 400 Partido Revolucionario Dominicano (PRD) members, was held at the
Club Campestre Haina. There has been speculation that a good percentage
of the income to be generated by the newly introduced taxes will have
to be devoted to salaries for party members. Ortiz Bosch told the
gathering that the government would fulfill its obligations to the Party.
President Hipolito Mejia, who had been scheduled to conduct the homage
to the late PRD strongman, Jose Francisco Peña Gomez, did not attend.
Cassandra Awards ceremony tonight
The Cassandra Prize Ceremony, in which the country's most prestigious art and culture awards will be presented, will be telecast tonight at
7:00 p.m. on Channel 13. The annual event is organized by Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana, which makes Presidente Beer, in cooperation with
the Art Chroniclers' Association. This year's show, which will be hosted
by Ellis Perez and Tania Baez, is expected to be especially spectacular, since the budget is almost three times that of last year.
Prizes will be awarded in 39 categories.
Too many taxes complicating businesses
The Confederacion Patronal Dominicana, an association of business owners,
said that the tax situation has become so confusing that businesses have
to create special new departments to manage them. In an interview in Hoy,
the organization's president, Fabio Herrera Roa stated that businesses have to visit the different tax offices five times a month to make
payments.
They need to pay the Social Security Agency for employee benefits and then
for the workmen's accident policy, the ITBIS (point-of-sale) tax office,
and the Customs Service, in addition to the Direccion General de Impuestos
Internos (the internal revenue office). He suggested that the Internal
Revenue Office take steps to unify the payments.
Is education a government priority or not?
This morning's El Caribe newspaper focuses on the question of whether the
Mejia Administration has really made education a priority. It points out
that this year's education budget is the same as last year's, 16%, and
equal to 2.5% of the Gross Domestic Product. International organizations have established 4% of GNP as the standard. More over, the Dominican Teachers Association is seeking a minimum monthly salary of RD$5,000, but
Minister of Education Milagros Ortiz Bosch, stated that the budget does
not allow for a salary increase for instructors this year. The newspaper
El Siglo newspaper says that the public high schools are graduating students with low qualifications. Research indicates that students are
graduating with scores of 42, while the national minimum standard for
graduation is 60. Some 72% of public high school graduates attend the
(public) Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, due to its low cost and
admissions standards.
Fr. Rogelio Cruz doubts the viability of the social welfare package
The Parish priest of Cristo Rey, Fr. Rogelio Cruz, told El Siglo yesterday
that the proposed social welfare measures announced by President Hipolito
Mejia can not succeed because the government is not organized to implement
them. He also foresaw failure due to the confusion of overlapping agencies,
each with its own bureaucracy and paper work. Nevertheless, he thought that
the Mejia initiative was commendable because it focused on the three basic
needs of the people; education, health and employment.
Tax pre-payment for those with less than RD$2 million sales
The Direccion General de Impuestos Internos stated that until Congress
approves the modification of the 1.5% gross sales pre-payment tax, it will
continue to collect the monthly 1.5% tax from businesses with sales under
RD$2 million. The government announced last week that it was sending to
Congress a proposal that would modify the existing law and exempt
businesses
with sales under RD$6 million from payment of the monthly 1.5% pre-payment
tax on gross sales. A news report states that the legal advisor to the
Presidency, Guido Gomez Mazara did not deliver the bill on Friday as
promised.
The debt in the Customs Office
The Director of Customs, Vicente Sanchez Baret, said that he is concluding
all public debate regarding the debts of importers left over from the
administration of his predecessor, Miguel Cocco. Sanchez Baret had
been critical of the previous administration for the millions of pesos
of importers' unpaid fees. Cocco had requested a list of indebted importers, to which Sanchez Baret responded with a paid announcement in the press documenting an unpaid debt of the National Price Stabilization Institute (INESPRE), a government institution, for
RD$699 million. Cocco declared the argument as absurd as INESPRE had never paid import duties, and because the government cannot pay
taxes to itself. Sanchez Baret said that the subject would be dropped.
Zoo in danger of closing
The National Zoo Director, Alfonso Ferreira, interviewed by El Siglo,
said that the Zoo is danger of closing because of the reproductive problems of the animals it exhibits. Newborn animals die within hours due to the consanguinity of their parents. If measures are not
taken to assure their safe reproduction, the animals will all die out,
he said. Animals, such as rhinoceros, Asiatic buffalo, zebra, and
hippopotamus, among others, that do not immediately perish have been
born with severe deformities. Until new stock can be acquired, Ferreira is trying to ensure that animals do not mate with their parents, grandparents and siblings. There are plans to repopulate the Zoo with elephants, giraffes, camels, and antelopes, are species
that are represented by only one animal each surviving from the eleven individuals present when the zoo was opened on July 5, 1975.
According to the El Siglo article, the Zoo currently houses 1,691 animals, of which 125 are mammals, 125 are birds, and 723 are reptiles.
The Zoo's annual budget of RD$11 million provides care for 5 zebras,
five hippos, three rhinos, 14 deer, three antelope, 20 mountain goats,
five lions, seven tigers, jaguars, ostriches, parrots, peacocks, iguanas, crocodiles, spider monkeys, capuchin monkeys, lemurs, chimpanzees, and a host of other species.
Turbi announces a DR$3/gallon reduction on Sundays
The Don Quijote of Competition, Antonio Turbi, personally supervised the RD$3 per gallon reduction in gasoline prices that he made effective
yesterday at his three gas stations in Santo Domingo, La Romana and
Santiago. Turbi personally supervised gas sales to a unending line of
vehicles the queued up to take advantage of the offer that he said
would be a Sunday feature of his stations for the next five months. Last Tuesday, Turbi, who had instituted a RD$2 peso a gallon gasoline
rebate, was hospitalized with two gun-shot wounds he received last
Tuesday evening fired by a passing motorcycle as he drove along Estrella
Sadhala Avenue in Santiago, where one of his gas stations is situated.
Upon his discharge from the hospital, Turbi attributed to competitor gasoline company interests the attempt on his life.
Tourism Prizes
El Siglo reports that the Secretary of Tourism would renew the Tourism
Awards that have been suspended for the past four years. Prizewinners are:
Puerto Plata Tourism Pioneers, Luis Arturo Pelegrin and Rafael Silverio
Messon.
Dedication to Music: Juan Lockward, Rafael Solano, Juan de Dios (Johnny)
Ventura,
Felix del Rosario and Manuel Sanchez Acosta
Service to DR Tourism: Jose Manuel Lovaton Jr.
Contribution to DR. Hotel Development: Danilo Caro
Support for Tourism: Isidro Garcia Mercedes
Guest Services: Manuel Castro
Longevity in Tourism: Enrique de Marchena
Customs Service: Carlos Lopez Castro
Air Lines Bringing the Greatest Number of Visitors to Puerto Plata:
British Airways
Air Lines Bringing the Greatest Number of Visitors to Santo Domingo:
American Airlines
Local Tour Operator: Metro Tours
Travel Agent: Turinter & Norma's Tours
Restaurateurs: Ciro Cascella and Luca Piraccini
Hotel Manager of the Year: Tony Ruiz (ex-Manager of the Hotel V Centenario
intercontinental)
Longevity in Travel Agency Service: Agencia de Viajes Martinez (San Pedro
de Macoris)
Guide of the Year: Sonia Maria Alburquerque
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