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Daily News - 26 February 2001
DR1 Daily News will not be updated tomorrow, a holiday
The DR1 Daily News will not be published tomorrow, Tuesday, 27
February. The 27th is a holiday in the Dominican Republic. It
commemorates the Independence Day. News will be compiled for the
Wednesday, 28 February 2001 edition.
Pedernales tourism development gets a boost
The government expropriated the beach areas between Laguna de Oviedo and Playa Pedernales, in the southwest. This includes the areas known as Laguna de Puerto el Medio, Punta San Jose, Playa Blanca, Playa Larga, Playa Chiquita, Cabo Falso, Playa Caliente, Punta Chimanche, Bahia de las Aguilas, Cabo Rojo and Guanave. Decree 273-01 establishes tourism projects will be developed there. The announcement was made by the government during a government council held over the weekend in Barahona. Listin Diario mentions that 2,400 hotel rooms will go up in a first phase. The government created a commission presided by Major General Antonio Imbert Barreras who will be in charge of planning, promoting and developing the expropriated lands. Other members of the commission are the legal advisor of the Executive Branch, Guido Gomez Mazara, Minister of Tourism Ramon Alfredo Bordas, Senator for Pedernales Angel Perez, Governor of the province Juana del Socorro Sanchez and architect Luis Eduardo Delgado.
El Caribe newspaper protested the practice of the government of authorizing the development of areas banned as per the new environmental development law.
The government announcement came together with promises for RD$1,500 million in investment in the social and economic development of the southwestern frontier provinces of Pedernales, Bahoruco, Barahona and Independencia, among the poorest in the nation. The projects include an integral sustainable agriculture development project for RD$530 million.
And the money, where will it come from?
El Siglo newspaper wonders where the money for the works proposed by the government in government councils held in the provinces will come from. The newspaper says that the government has agreed to build 97,126 dwellings, nine hospitals, 26 rural clinics, 49 schools, 108 classrooms, 13 polytechnics, 40 aqueducts, three dams, the rehabilitation of the Valdesia dam, the construction of an air terminal and four ports, some RD$11,000 million will come from? It also comments that the government is backing the passing of the modified social security bill that is said to have a cost of RD$40,000 million a year. The Congress has just approved international loans for RD$7,400 million, and the national annual budget is RD$67,000 million.
Promotional money for tourism
The director of the Civil Aviation Board, Anibal Amparo announced he has just made available to the Ministry of Tourism RD$24.5 million and US$771,675 for tourism promotion abroad. This is part of an agreement to provide the Ministry with half of proceeds of the tourist card purchased by travelers.
An agreement to bill low income barrios
The Minister of Industry and Commerce Angel Lockward announced that the government reached an agreement with energy distributing companies to compensate these with 30% of the billing cost of low income households. He explained that they have developed a scale of 100, 200 and 350 a month to bill households in low income barrios. He said that with the scheme, barrios such as Los Alcarrizos will suffer less blackouts, and that all efforts would be made so that these do not occur at night for safety reasons. He made the announcement on the Gordo de la Semana TV program, produced by Freddy Beras Goico on Telecentro, Channel 13.
The government recently announced that as a result of an agreement it reached with the distributors, it would eliminate the subsidy on the increase of fuel in billing to middle class and affluent neighborhoods and businesses and industries. It also announced it is backing distributor company efforts to bill low income households.
Dominicans already pay too much for power
The president of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), the incumbent party, Hatuey de Camps said that residents in the DR already pays one of the highest energy tariffs in the world. In his opinion, the Dominican people should not be burdened with new measures that seek to favor the sector. He said he opposes using the Armed Forces to aid the distributors in their efforts to collect from low income sectors. He spoke on the TV program, Aeromundo. He criticized the way the state company was capitalized. He also commented that several of the private companies want to recover their investments in a relatively too short term.
New minimum wage for hotel and restaurant employees
Representatives of employers and employees of the hotel and restaurant sector agreed on a 15% increase in the minimum wages of the sector. The new wages approved last Friday, 23 February are as follows: Companies with assets of RD$500,000+: RD$3,030 (up from RD$2,633)
Companies with assets of RD$200,000-RD$499,999.99): RD$2,160. Companies with assets of RD$200,000-: RD$1,950
Companies had proposed 10%, the employees sought 25%.
The increase enters into effect 15 days after the resolution is published and does is not retroactive.
Free zone sector minimum wages were recently increased to RD$2,490, up 18%.
Businesses with capital over RD$500,000: RD$3,415.
Businesses with capital of RD$200,000-500,000: RD$2,345
Businesses with capital under RD$200,000: RD$2,490.
Watchmen minimum wage is now RD$2,890 and farm workers are to get paid RD$70 per eight hour work day.
Customs director requests help from businessmen to fight corruption in his department
The director of the Department of Customs, Vicente Sanchez Baret requested the help of businessmen to eliminate what he called the payment of "macuteo" or payments made to agents to reduce what is paid to the state. This practice had been practically eliminated during the previous government but is said to be back. Sanchez Baret urged the businessmen to denounce any officer who requests a handout so that measures can be applied. He said he is willing to remove them from his department and send them to justice. Sanchez Baret spoke to the membership of the Association of Industrialists of the North Region.
Child labor in the DR
The Dominican Labor Code stipulates that the workday of minors of 16 years cannot be more than six hours. It also bans minors of 14 years from working. The exceptions to the rule are those that work in art-related activities, cultural activities, science or educational activities. The same article allows minors to work in minor farm activities such as harvesting. According to El Siglo newspaper, the problem is that the children start by harvesting and then move on to other activities not appropriate for their ages.
El Siglo newspaper published a report that a April-May 2000 UNICEF study of 573 farms showed that 415 or 72% admitted to employing children ages seven to 16 years. The most common jobs are harvesting, planting, removing weeds, and applying pesticides.
Elisa Sanchez, director of the Department of Protection of Children and Adolescents of the Attorney General's office said that child labor is usually only envisioned as prostitution in tourism sectors. But that sectors debating the topic forget about the thousands of children that suffer from exploitation in domestic labor, rural whorehouses.
When asked to comment, President Hipolito Mejia said that it is nothing out of this world that children work on farms. He said that what he is against is their exploitation.
Polls show Dominicans stand by Hipolito Mejia
A poll carried out by Penn, Schoen & Berland for El Siglo newspaper (7-11 February nationwide) shows that 65% of Dominicans are somewhat or very satisfied with the first six months of government of President Mejia. 79% of the population feels his travels abroad are beneficial for the country. Two out of every three Dominicans feel that the statesman should continue visiting the provinces to meet the people and hear their problems first hand. The survey also showed that half of all Dominicans consider that the economic situation of the country has gotten worse over the last six months, but 53% have expectations there will be an improvement this year. 32% say that their personal economic situation has improved. The El Siglo survey confirms findings of a previously released survey, the Gallup survey carried out by Rumbo Magazine (6-10 February). The Rumbo survey was carried out only in the National District (Santo Domingo).
The Rumbo survey showed that 54% of Dominicans approve of the administration of President Hipolito in general terms. Interestingly, 63% of the residents in the National District (and 70% of the women) do not agree with the economic measures adopted by the government in December. For 48% of those surveyed, the government has met their expectations. This survey also showed that for 53% of those interviewed the economic situation of most of whom they know has worsened. Only for 36% have things gotten better. The survey showed that women are the most critical of the Mejia administration. Of the women interviewed, 58% said that for those around them things are getting worse, while this was true for only 49% of the men. The Rumbo survey showed that notwithstanding Dominicans are optimistic. 71% feel that the bad times will be over soon.
Leonel Fernandez: Mejia administration does not have a vision
Former President Leonel Fernandez criticized the government of Hipolito Mejia for lacking a vision of where the nation is headed. He said this creates frustrations for the population.
"People had hopes, they had many expectations of this PRD government, after 14 years out of government. It was understand that all those years would have served to reflect, to have innovative ideas, fresh projects. It is apparent this is not true," said Fernandez.
He was interviewed on the "Al Atardecer con Mayra" TV program of Supercanal, Channel 33.
Business wants elimination of exchange surcharge
The American Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Industries of Herrera concur with Carlos Guillermo Leon, president of the Foundation for Justice and Institutionality, and vice president of one of the leading Dominican companies, in their request that the government fulfill its promise to remove the exchange surcharge on foreign currency transactions. Spokesmen for the organizations say that the exchange surcharge increases their costs and the price of items sold locally.
The government had charged 1.75% exchange commission, increasing it to 5% in October 1999 to compensate for not increasing the domestic price of fuel when petroleum prices abroad began to go up. The Mejia government had committed to remove it as soon as the new fiscal measures were implemented and the price of fuel was adjusted to international levels.
The American Chamber of Commerce says that the macroeconomic stabilization scheme that the government is applying does not promote the global competitiveness of the local industry. They mention there should be more stimulus for savings, long term investments, lower interest rates and a real, competitive while stable exchange rate.
Balaguer opposes Manabao dam
Former President Joaquin Balaguer requested that President Hipolito Mejia suspend the construction of the Manabao-Tavera-Bejucal hydroelectric complex. The former President feels that the dam would affect the main water sources of the country. In a written communication to President Mejia, the influential politician urged that the dam construction be suspended until its execution is studied further and alternatives found. The Manabao dam complex would be built at the top of the Cordillera Central where the Yuna, Nizao and Yaque del Norte rivers are born. Balaguer feels this project would affect the natural resources of the province of La Vega. He endorsed the construction of the Guaigui Dam in La Vega. The government recently announced this dam.
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