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Daily News - 6 April 2001
President Mejia honors 10 journalists
On occasion of the celebration of Journalists' Day in the DR, President Mejia decorated 10 journalists with the Duarte, Sanchez and Mella Order of Merit, rank of Commander.
They are:
Osvaldo Santana, executive editor of El Siglo; Bienvenido Alvarez Vega, executive editor of Hoy; Domingo Saint Hilaire; Juan Taveras Hernandez; Francisco Alvarez Castellanos; Dania Goris; Luis Eduardo Lora; Alvaro Arvelo; Jaime Thomas; and Hector Tineo.
President Mejia also issued a decree instituting the Day of Press Workers on 28 November.
Arbitrary taxation levels protested by business
The Tax Department (DGII) is billing companies for the 1.5% tax on gross sales by averaging the sales of the past three years, then adding an estimated 15% growth rate per year. The companies that make tax payments lower than that amount are being notified that they need to pay the difference.
The business community has protested, saying the department is not taking into account the slowdown of the economy which caused a decline in sales of 25 to 40%. Jochy Vicente, president of the Asociación de Jovenes Empresarios (ANJE), criticized the government for taking it for granted that companies increase their sales every year and is ignoring the slowdown of the economy. Freddy Madera of the DGII said that when companies have proven in the past that their sales were down, the department has come to an agreement.
Gifts no longer subject to import taxes
The Listin Diario reports that Dominicans living abroad bringing appliances and clothes into this country as gifts for family and friends will no longer pay import taxes on them. Ana Ortiz, deputy collections agent at the Las Americas International Airport, requested permission to implement the measure after receiving complaints from many passengers who said people in the Customs area were extorting them. These people were offering, for a price, to help the incoming passengers pay less when passing through customs.
Items that are now tax exempt are 20-inch televisions, up to 3 CD players, beaters, toasters, washing machines, VHS players, electric ovens, fans, radios and clothing imports for non-commercial purposes.
Traditionally, the Customs Department had allowed these tax-exempt imports only for Mothers Day and during the Christmas holidays.
Real estate scandal continues
After 14 hours of questioning yesterday, the government has arrested Victor Tio Fernandez, the former director of Bienes Nacionales, the department in charge of government property. Upon his arrest, his lawyer Fidias Aristy urged the judicial authorities to look into another real estate deal. Aristy said authorities should interrogate the Secretary of the Presidency Sergio Grullon (brother-in-law of President Mejia) as well as Jose Ramon Diaz Dominguez (cousin and assistant to President Mejia), and Luis Montas. If they are not questioned, he says he and Tio will publish what they know about the case.
Tio accused those officers of preventing the state from recovering land valued at more than RD$600 million in the area of Mirador del Norte Park. "I always opposed this and I warned the President about it," Tio told the press. Tio said he turned down a bribe of RD$20 million not to proceed with the recovery of the property.
When asked by the press, Sergio Grullón said he had nothing to hide and said that Tio could tell what he knew. "If they have an accusation to make, let them make it," Grullon said.
The Listin Diario reports that there is a contradiction in the size of the property at issue. The 2,718,000 square meter property reported by Tio coincides with the dimensions of another park, the Mirador del Este which was expropriated in 1992 during the Balaguer administration.
When asked about the case, President Hipolito Mejia said that the matter is in the hands of the judiciary.
Audit of government real estate operations
The Supreme Court of Justice ordered an audit of the real estate operations carried out by several government departments during the past 12 months. Departments that will be audited to follow the trail of government property transactions made by Bienes Nacionales are:
Oficina de Registro de Titulos del Distrito Nacional,
Instituto Nacional de la Vivienda,
Instituto de Auxilios y Viviendas,
Instituto Agrario Dominicano.
Jorge Subero Isa, president of the Supreme Court, said they hope to detect any irregularities in the deposit and registration of transactions, as reported by El Siglo newspaper.
Deputies pass Social Security Bill with changes
The Social Security Bill has returned to the Senate after the Chamber of Deputies made many changes. One of the most important changes is the separation of the social security plans for the private sector and for the public sector. The Dominican Medical Association opposes this move. It favored joint management of both sectors.
81 deputies of the PRD and the PRSC voted on the bill. Deputies of the PLD abandoned the session protesting that the plan would be unsustainable.
The president of the Caribbean American Life and General Insurance company, Francisco Cabreja, said that if the bill is approved as is, it will cost the population 19% of their salary - 9% for the pension plan and 10% for the health plan. He said 70% of the cost would be paid by the employer and 30% by the employee. He explained that an employee who makes RD$15,000 a month will be required to pay RD$2,800 to the plan, of which RD$1,300 will go to the pension plan and RD$1,500 to the health plan.
Furthermore, he estimated that the state would have to make payments of RD$5,000 million a year into the plan.
Adozona proposal put aside for now
Ramon Alburquerque and Rafaela Alburquerque, the presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, recognized the importance of a recommendation made by the Free Zone Association. The Association warned about a duplication of pension funds that would result from the proposed new Social Security Bill.
Adozona wants Congress to eliminate the present provisions for severance payments contained in the Labor Code to prevent a duplication in benefits once the new bill is passed.
While the legislators say they agree with Adozona, they say they cannot rule on this until the Labor Code is amended.
The Social Security Bill returned to the Senate after the Chamber of Deputies made modifications.
Writer revokes resignation from Library
Andres Mateo retracted his resignation from the National Library after meeting with Minister of Culture Tony Raful. He said the Minister agreed to review the recent layoffs of 22 library employees. Mateo's resignation made news after his critical letter of resignation was leaked to the press.
Government jobs come with new vehicles
News commentator Orlando Gil of El Siglo newspaper comments that there is no difference between what is going on in the present government and what happened in the past. He says it has become government practice to "give away" vehicles to government officers. The current plan calls for the ministries to finance 75% of the cost of the vehicles, with the employees getting loans for the remaining 25%. But Gil says that actually the employees end up paying nothing for their luxury vehicles because things like insurance, fuel and maintenance are deducted from their car payments. The vehicle plans make it even more attractive to work for the state.
Famous judge to speak at the UASD
Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón is famous for moving on the cases against Chilean Dictator Augusto Pinochet (see http://www.lakota.clara.net/Library/garzon.html) and Argentine military leader Miguel Angel Cavallo (see http://www.diplomatiejudiciaire.com/UK/Argentine/Cavallo1.htm). He will visit the state university, Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo from April 23 ­ 25 and will participate in the university's dedication of the Chair of Human Rights.
The visit is organized by Franklin Garcia, dean of the School of Judicial Studies and Politics, and Rosalia Sosa, coordinator of postgraduate studies in Criminal Law at the university. Other sponsors are UNESCO, the Spanish government and the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
Encounter for harmony at the frontier
Thousands of Dominicans and Haitians met yesterday along the frontier to speak out against violence, injustice and other social problems that plague the border area. The meeting had the support of the Fundacion Solidaridad, neighborhood groups, sports clubs, schools, churches and the press. Both Haitian and Dominicans spoke up in favor of harmonious relations.
Continental adds second summer flight to Newark
Continental has added a second flight from Santo Domingo to Newark for summer travelers. Summer is the peak travel season for the Dominican Republic. The flight starts 14 June and will continue through 6 September.
The flight's schedule is also attractive for flight connections. Flight CO729 departs Newark at 1:05 am arriving in Santo Domingo at 4:49 am. The return flight, CO732 departs Santo Domingo at 8:15 am arriving to Newark at 12:28 pm.
Fares range from around US$500 for travel from Monday to Thursday with a maximum stay of 30 days. Seven days advance purchase necessary. With the new flight, Continental will have two regular scheduled flights during the summer from Santo Domingo and one from Puerto Plata on to Newark, New Jersey.
Athlete quest for the Pan Am Games
The president of the Dominican Olympic Committee, Jose Joaquin Puello, supports a proposal to seek athletes abroad who may best represent the Dominican Republic in the 2003 Pan American Games. A lack of funds in the years leading up to the Games has prevented the Olympic Committee from preparing athletes at home, reducing the number of athletes who are of Pan American Games caliber. But this could be resolved if the Dominican team is reinforced with Dominicans who train abroad.
"The possible arrival of Dominican athletes who live abroad and come back here to participate in the 2003 Pan Am Games is an excellent and fabulous idea that we are going to put into practice," said Jose Joaquin Puello, president of the Olympic Committee and the Pan Am Games Organizing Committee.
Carlos Hernandez, a Dominican who lives in Puerto Rico, proposed the idea.
Puello said Dominicans training in US and Puerto Rican universities will be pursued.
20,000 police to patrol for Easter Week holiday
The Police have announced that 20,000 officers will be on duty during Easter Week (which starts this Sunday, 8 April and ends Sunday, 15 April). Easter Week is the peak domestic travel week. The Police force has been assigned to prevent weapons of any kind from being brought onto the beaches. Likewise, air and sea patrols will watch the beaches. And police will direct the long lines of vehicles as vacationers make their way back to the cities. Those traveling to the interior should return no later than noon on Sunday to avoid the peak traffic that will hit on the afternoon of Sunday, 15 April.
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