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Daily News - 7 March 2001
18% minimum wage increase to go into effect on 19 March
The 18% minimum wage increase will be effective 19 March 2001, according to Resolution 2-2001 of the National Committee of Salaries. The new wages, depending on size of the company, are:
RD$3,415: companies with assets of more than RD$500,000
RD$2,345: companies with assets from RD$200,000 to RD$499,999. RD$2,075: companies with assets of less than RD$200,000.
The National Committee of Salaries has ruled on different minimum wage increases for specific sectors. The 15% wage increase for the tourism & entertainment sector and the 12% wage increase for the free zone industries sector are not yet in effect.
Labor sectors have impugned the 12% wage increase for free zone industries. According to procedures, the Ministry of Labor now may decide to return it for further debates to the National Committee of Salaries, reject the refutation or approve the latter.
Winners of 2001 Santo Domingo Carnival announced
The Ministry of Tourism announced that the float "Naturaleza Viva de Bonao" won the grand prize of the Sunday, 4 March Carnival Parade. Runner ups were "Fantasia Marina" and Fantasia de Rio de Janeiro from the province of Santiago. The Ministry said it invested RD$5 million in the successful event that took place on the Malecon.
Award to honor late PRD leader
President Hipolito Mejia by Decree 317-01 creates the Jose Francisco Peña Gomez National Award. The winner of the award will receive a monumental diploma and his life biography will be made known by government media as an example for others to follow. Any person or institution can make nominations for the prize. The award may go to a person or an institution both in the DR or in a nation where a large number of Dominicans reside. The idea is to honor whom has contributed to the welfare of the Dominican community or the defense of national interests. Nominations can be presented to the Legal Adviser of the Executive Branch no latter than 30 January of every year. The jury for the award is made up by: Peggy Cabral, Guido Gomez Mazara, Hugo Tolentino Dipp, Franklin Franco, Viriato Sencion and Rafael Gamundi Cordero.
Central American Free Trade Agreement could be approved soon
The president of the industry and commerce commission of the Senate, Andres Bautista said that it is likely that the Free Trade Agreement signed by former President Leonel Fernandez with Central America will be soon approved with all its protocols included. He said the main obstacle to the passing of the treaty were the matters relative to import of milk and chicken from Central America and others regarding the Nicaragua protocol. He says negotiations have led to advances in this direction. He said Costa Rica accepted reciprocity in regards to tariffs. He expects the free trade agreement to be passed this week by the Senate.
The Caribbean Free Trade Agreement was passed already by the Senate. Pending for this treatment to enter into effect is for the Legal Adviser of the Presidency to send the document to the Ministry of Foreign Relations so that participating Caribbean nations be notified. This is expected to occur this week or next.
Lots of scholarships available for Dominican graduate students
The technical director of the governmental National Council of Superior Education (CONES) Rafael Bello urged universities to work closely with his department to make known to students the thousands of scholarships that are available for graduate study abroad. He said that students in Cuba, Argentina and Mexico reap 80% of all the scholarships that Spain is making available to Latin America. Hundreds of these could go to Dominicans. The scholarships are for graduate studies. He mentioned the Humbolt Foundation of Germany that has 500 scholarships available every year. Through his office's efforts, he said the Foundation Masutmai of Japan has available 100 scholarships with all expenses paid.
Gaming win days reduced
The number of Dominicans gambling away their monthly wages has increased to such levels, that the Executive Branch decreed yesterday that betting win days will be limited to Wednesdays and Sundays. This affects lottery and any other type of chance games. Decree 323-01 seeks to counteract the proliferation of gaming businesses in the country.
Senate not likely to pass bill for more hotels in eastern park
Francisco Jimenez Reyes (PRD-Baoruco) says it is unlikely the Senate will vote favorably on the bill sent by President Hipolito Mejia regarding the use of National Park of the East land for hotel development. Ecologists, newspaper editorial writers, the National Hotel & Restaurant Association, and the Hotel Association of Bayahibe have rejected the bill. Jimenez Reyes said that nevertheless, the Senate would open the floor of the Senate so that the opposing and supporting sector could present their views on the bill. For more information on this bill, see http://www.dr1.com/daily/news030601.shtml
Government eco tourism project for Bahia de las Aguilas
El Siglo newspaper reports having had access to an eco tourism project developed by the Ministry of Environment for the Bahia de las Aguilas beach area. The use of the area for hotel development has been debated after President Hipolito Mejia issued a decree expropriating the area for hotel development purposes.
According to El Siglo, the Ministry of Environment had developed the "Marco Conceptual para el Desarrollo de la Zona de Uso Publico del Parque Nacional Jaragua en Bahia de las Aguilas," a conceptual framework for the public use of the area. This does not contemplate the construction of hotels. The Ministry is in favor that hotels be located in Oviedo, Cabo Rojo and Pedernales. From there tourists could make day trips to the paradise-like beach.
For more on the government's expropriation decree, see http://www.dr1.com/daily/news022601.shtml
The presidential decree has been debated because it violates stipulations in Environment Law 64-00 signed by President Mejia himself on 18 August 2000, shortly after taking office.
Ministry of Environment rescues La Caleta Indian Park
El Siglo reports that the National Park of La Caleta, located at the entrance to the Las Americas International Airport, will soon reopen. The Ministry has a budget for the renovation for RD$1.5 million of which it has already received RD$500,000 for renovation works. Work began in November in coordination with the Museum of Dominican Man and the Ministry of Culture. The park contains the largest indian cemetery in the country, with 36 tombs of Taino and Caribe indians, and includes six skeletons.
Pre-school children visit the National Palace
Vice President Milagros Ortiz Bosch, who is the nation's Minister of Education invited her grandchild, Ana Milagros Basanta and classmates to visit the Presidency. More than 50 pre-schoolers visited the National Palace and frolicked through most of the halls of the Palace and even met with the President. The "Bright Start" bilingual pre-school students frolicked through most of the halls of the Palace singing chants in English bringing smiles to all who heard them or met them. El Siglo newspaper reports that all the children knew who the President was, and one little girl commented upon meeting President Mejia, "He looks like my grandfather."
RD$800 million investment for President Beer company
The Cervecería Nacional Dominicana, brewers of Presidente Beer, announced an investment of RD$800 million in the next three years to continue their modernization process and internal reforms to better prepare the company to compete in export markets. The company announced that the money will be invested in modern equipment, machinery for production, the purchase of 4.8 million plastic boxes that will replace cardboard packaging and changes in their production lines. Presidente beer executives have said that recent tax increases on beer sales have resulted in a 20% decrease in domestic sales.
Club Med celebrates 50th anniversary
Club Med invested US$36 million in a total renovation of its Punta Cana Club Med on the East Coast of the DR. The renovation came in time for the 50th anniversary of the French vacation club chain and for the 20th anniversary of the Punta Cana resort itself. Few visitors to the resort are aware that the Club Med Punta Cana was the hotel that put the Punta Cana-Bavaro beach hotel strip on traveler's maps. DR1's editorial director Dolores Vicioso and family were invited to take a look at what's new at the resort. A full report on the hotel's new facilities is featured at http://www.dr1.com/daily/clubmed2001.html
Santo Domingo Music Festival
The Santo Domingo Music Festival opens today at the National Theater of Santo Domingo. It brings together world class performers under the legendary conductor and soloist pianist, Philippe Entremont. The third edition of the Santo Domingo Music Festival will take place from 7 to 17 March 2001. The Santo Domingo Music Festival is an international event devoted to classical music, created by the legendary pianist and conductor Philippe Entremont with the support of Fundación Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional ("Sinfonía"), a non-profit organization which manages the National Symphony Orchestra.
The Festival, which started in 1997, is presented every two years at the Santo Domingo National Theater. The organization of the Festival has the counseling of Ms. Susan Tilley, who was Chairperson of the Van Cliburn Foundation for nine years. Today, she is Regional Administrator of the Kravis Arts Center in Florida.
The third edition of the Santo Domingo Music Festival presents Katia and Marielle Labèque, the Aron Quartet from Vienna, Eric Ruske, Momix, Chorovaya Akademia, Carlos Piantini, Michael Camilo, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, Julian Rachlin, and the one-hundred-plus musicians of the Festival Orchestra, with Philippe Entremont doubling as pianist and conductor.
Tickets: RD$600, $450, RD$400, RD$500, RD$350, RD$150.

The schedule of performances is as follows:
Wednesday 7, March. Katia and Marielle Labeque pianists. Orchestra of the Festival.
Conductor: Philippe Entremont.
Friday, 8 March. Aron Quartet from Viena, Austria (Eric Ruske, cornet; Herre Jan Stegega, cello, Georg Hamann, viola. Orchestra of the Festival. Conductor: Philippe Entremont.
Monday, 12 March. Momix Contemporary Dance Company (US). Moses Pendleton
Tuesday, 13 March. Chorovaya Akademia. Conductor: Alexander Sedov
Wednesday, 14 March. Michael Camilo, piano. Orchestra of the Festival. Conductor: Carlos Piantini
Friday, 16 March. Les Percussions de Satrasbourg. Conductor: Jean Paul Bernard
Saturday, 17 March. Julian Rachlin, violin. Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Philippe Entremont
For background information on the performers, see http://www.dr1.com/daily/musicfestival2001.html
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