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Daily News - 28 March 2001
Former Taiwan President invited to consult on the economy
President Hipolito Mejia and Marino Ginebra, of the National Business Council (CONEP), formally invited former Taiwan President Lee Teng Hui to consult on fiscal economic reforms and social development. Teng Hui, who was president of Taiwan for 12 years, is considered responsible for the policies that lead that nation to major development. President Mejia invited him to come in November. His visit then would coincide with the celebration of an important forum on farming organized by the Interamerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. IICA director, Carlos Aquino Gonzalez was with President Mejia, when the invitation was made in Taiwan.
The former statesman said that he had a visit scheduled to El Salvador to consult with that government, but would consider traveling subsequently to Santo Domingo.
President seeks Taiwan funding for six major projects
Yesterday, President Hipolito Mejia ended his five-day official visit to Taiwan. He has requested the support of President Chen Shui-bian for funding of US$200 million for several priority development projects. These are:
1) US$50 million for the salvaging of Yaque del Norte River. This program would be carried out by the Instituto Superior de Agricultura, the nation's main farming higher learning center. ISA's rector Benito Ferreiras traveled with President Mejia to Taiwan. This project includes the relocation of impoverished families that live at the riverside.
2) US$50-$60 million for equipping 29 polytechnics. Money would also be used to send Dominican technicians to train at the Taishan Vocational Center of Taiwan.
3) US$20 million for the leveling of around 100,000 hectares of rice lands.
4) US$50 milllion to fund an ambitious plan to plant fruit trees. The program envisions a total US$400 million investment the government seeks from international organizations and friendly governments. 5) Funding to open foreign investment promotion offices abroad. 6) Funding for a management center to support cooperative initiatives between the government and the private sector.
President makes departments responsible for their own power bills
Today, local newspapers published Decree 400-2001, dated 20 March, by which President Hipolito Mejia orders that each government department be responsible for paying its power consumption. The President orders them to make payments directly to the power distributors, Edeeste, Edenorte and Edesur. It authorizes the distributors to discontinue service to any department that does not make its payments as per contractual obligations. The President says that the distributors will no longer be able to discount the cost of the power consumed by government offices from payments they must make to the state electricity corporation, CDE. The decree ends the RD$200 million subsidy the central government paid on behalf of its departments.
In a strange paternalistic item contained in the decree, the President instructs public institutions to make sure that all their employees regularly pay for their personal home power consumption, subject to disciplinary measures.
Director of government department suspended
Acting President Milagros Ortiz Bosch suspended director of Bienes Nacionales, Victor Tio Fernandez during investigation of the sale of a 3,000 square meter government property appraised at RD$2,000 but sold for RD$5 the meter. Tio was suspended for 30 days.
In new developments on the case reported by the press, an advisor of Bienes Nacionales, Santiago Moquete, called Tio "a cancer within the government of Hipolito Mejia." He told the press that the director of Bienes Nacionales is surrounded by a band of mafiosi and property invaders. He accused Tio of authorizing the irregular sale. Tio has denied the charges stating that his signature was falsified.
The Chief of the Police confirmed that it was true that a letter from Tio had been received at the Police warning that the mafia was selling state property in an irregular manner.
Furthermore, El Siglo newspaper reports that the sale document prepared by Bienes Nacionales legal advisor Jorge Nemesio Matos Vasquez was not valid because the latter had been suspended by the Disciplinary Court of the Dominican Bar for violating articles of the Code of Ethics. This was in regards to falsifying a divorce plea on behalf of his wife.
Meanwhile, the Banco de Reservas has denied that the property that stirred up the controversy was under their jurisdiction as Tio claimed.
Hotel ordered to plant another tree
Ministry of Environment ruled that the Hotel V Centenario Inter Continental must plant another palm tree of the same species in front of the hotel to replace the one that was recently removed. The hotel management will also pay for the planting of 3,000 plants and will pay a fine of RD$20,000 for the violation. The hotel is being penalized because it did not request permission from the Ministry to take down the tree. Deputy Minister in charge of Forestry Resources, Maritza Santana, reached the agreement with the hotel management, as she explained to the Listin Diario.
Mystery of the chain of school intoxications
The Dominican Institute of Technology labs said they did not find bacterias nor microbes in the production processes of the suppliers of juices and milk to public schools. As of 16 March, supplies of several manufacturers in specific areas of the country have been poisoned. It is believed the problem has to do with the handling of the products after they leave the production plants. Until the matter is resolved, the Ministry has discontinued the purchase of supplies, a move that will affect 400,000 students.
Waiting period to find solution to port conflict
The Shippers Association agreed to a two-week waiting period for talks to solve an impasse between them and the truckers union, Federacion Nacional de Transporte Dominicano. An affiliate of the truckers disputes the Shippers Association's right to handle 50% of the truck lift cargo. Seeking to resolve the conflict, the Dominican Port Authority ruled the Fenatrado affiliate had the right to 50% of the cargo. This ruling was rejected by the shippers association which ordered work stoppages to protest the Port Authority decision.
Jurist coalition suggests that Supreme Court judges accept term limits
In an open letter in the press, the Coalition for Independent Justice rejects the proposal that the Constitution be reformed to change judges every four years. The Coalition explains that judges can be removed from their posts for bad conduct, continued and proven inefficiency on the job and for reaching the retirement age.
The Coalition states that the Supreme Court Justices are the exception to the latter rule as they were chosen prior to the establishment of the retirement age law.
The Coalition recommends that the Supreme Court justices voluntarily abide by the retirement age rule in the spirit of democracy. The coalition says this would prevent actions by enemies of judicial reform.
The Coalition is reacting to a statement made by several leading Dominican jurists. See http://www.dr1.com/daily/news032301.shtml
The signing members of the Coalition are Asociacion Americana de Juristas, Alfalit Dominicana, Asociacion Dominicana de Abogados Empresariales, Asociacion Nacional de Jovenes Empresarios, Centro de Estudios Sociales Padre Juan Montalvo, Centro Dominicano de Investigaciones Legales, Fundacion Institucionalidad y Justicia, Participacion Ciudadana.
RD$8 million for sports development this week?
Jose Joaquin Puello, the president of the Dominican Olympic Committee, expects a first disbursement of RD$8 million from the government this week for the preparation of the nation's best athletes. Puello said that the government has committed payments of RD$3 million a month and the first installment is expected in April. Puello disputed statements by former president of the Olympic Committee, Wiche Garcia Saleta, that the Pan Am Games experience would be a humiliating one for Dominican athletes. He also disputes that the Games will cost the Dominican people RD$5,000 million. See http://www.dr1.com/daily/news032701.shtml
He announced that all is ready for the signing of the contract with the Spanish firm MSL that will be providing the technology for the Games. The awarding of the contract to MSL was disputed by Sema, which alleged irregularities in the way the selection process was handled. These were denied by Puello.
Furthermore, Puello told Hoy newspaper that the granting of television rights to CBC (Canada), TWI (United States) or the firm that had the TV rights to the Sydney Olympics is a priority of the Committee. He explained the TV rights need to be decided before the signing of the Games marketing contract with Meridiam. The Meridiam contract is for US$300,000 and the US company will receive 20% of all contracted advertising.
Puello said that the Committee has prepared a RD$6 million promotional campaign to involve the Dominican people in the spirit of the Games.
US leads in water polo world cup qualifying round
The United States leads in the qualifying round for the Water Polo World Championships being held in La Romana. The US defeated Brazil to qualify for the World Championship to be held in Japan. Brazil defeated Cuba and has a good chance at qualifying also. The standings of the tournament so far are:
United States (3-0), Canada (2-1), Brazil (2-1), Cuba (2-1), Argentina (0-3), Dominicana (0-3).
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