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The President’s trip Hoy newspaper publishes an update on President Hipólito Mejía’s September trip to Europe. According to the official agenda, the President will leave on 12 September for Spain, where he will pay a formal visit to Madrid from 13-17 September. He is to be accompanied by some 20 leading Spanish businesspeople with investments in the Dominican Republic and other government officers. Mejía will attend a banquet in his honor hosted by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, with the participation of Spanish head of government José María Aznar and members of his cabinet. Mejía has not commented on speculation that he will meet with executives of Unión Fenosa, the power distributor that has said its Ede-Norte affiliate in the DR is bankrupt. Unión Fenosa purportedly wants to sell the affiliate to the Dominican government. Hoy newspaper says that President Mejía may include a visit to Israel and Jordan during the eight-day stay abroad. |
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United against sexual abuse of children The Dominican Republic has begun a concerted effort, both at home and abroad, to reduce foreigners’ abuse of Dominican children. Listín Diario reports that diplomatic bodies in Spain, Italy, Germany and France have been educated on the problem and ways to combat it. Likewise, the National Hotel & Restaurant Association (Asonahores) is participating in the campaign to reduce the number of tourists seeking to sexually exploit Dominican children during their visits. The united front also includes working with hotel personnel so that no assistance be given to foreigners seeking information on where to procure their victims. Organizations participating in the nationwide effort are the ministries of labor, education, public health, foreign relations, women and tourism. Likewise, the initiative will include the participation of Conani, the Attorney General’s office, Supreme Court of Justice, District Attorney’s office, Migration Department, Tourism Police, Interamerican Institute of the Child, Proyecto MAIS, NGO Coalition, Muchachos con Don Bosco, Proyecto Caminante, Institute of the Family, World Labor Organization and UNICEF. |
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Where to get your license plates The government began issuing new license plates for vehicles circulating the streets of the Dominican Republic. The new plates can be obtained at DGII offices and bank branches of the Progreso, Agrícola, ADEMI, Banco de la Pequeña Empresa, Cibao, La Vega Real, and La Previsora loans and savings offices, as well as at the offices of OPITEL, the Ciudad Ganadera, Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Stadium, Indotel (Av. Núñez de Cáceres), Plaza Lama-Duarte, La Sirena Oriental and INPOSDOM (Post Office) branches. The plates cost from RD$1,250 to RD$2,245 depending on year and type of vehicle. |
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Bear & Stearns update An update from the Emerging Markets Sovereign Research Department of Bear, Stearns & Co. hails as positive the news that the DR will receive US$120 million worth of IMF funds, and another US$380 million in multilateral disbursements before the end of this year. This includes an additional US$130 million from the IMF and US$250 million from the World Bank and the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB). The office of Franco Uccelli of Bear Stearns writes that US$250 million of the US$500 million scheduled for disbursement this year, after the signing of the two-year US$600-million stand-by agreement with the IMF, should be used to enhance the country’s foreign reserves. The brokerage firm reports that news of the IMF deal approval has boosted confidence in the Dominican peso, which appreciated by 6.6% since Monday of last week, closing yesterday at RD$32.77 to US$1. According to the firm, “the authorities expect the appreciation of the peso (the barometer commonly used to assess local market sentiment) to continue over the next few weeks, until it settles in a range of RD$28-RD$30 to US$1.” The firm feels this scenario is likely, although it “does not rule out the possibility that market euphoria may lead the peso to overshoot that range before a correction brings down the exchange rate to a more sensible level.” Bear Stearns reports that “with deal risk out of the way, implementation risk becomes more of an issue, particularly in the context of increased levels of political noise ahead of next May's elections and a weakened financial services industry [bank and non-bank].” It states, however, that despite the heightened level of volatility inherent now in the Dominican Republic, they believe “implementation risk is moderate, and disbursements from the World Bank and the IDB should help to maintain confidence.” |
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Despradel on expected disbursements As reported in Hoy newspaper, Technical Secretary of the Presidency Carlos Despradel says that the government will be using US$300 million in disbursements from the World Bank and the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) for a social compensation program and to cover debts accumulated with privatized providers of power. Following a meeting at the Presidential Palace with President Mejía, said they expected to receive the first US$100 million this month, which would be allocated to the social compensation programs. The remaining US$200 million expected in December would go to pay the debt with the power generators. Despite the explanation for the usage of the funds, Despradel is also reported as saying the funds would enter the Central Bank and thus would strengthen its international reserves. |
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Cut government spending Elena Viyella de Paliza, president of the Council for Private Business (Conep), proposed that the government achieve savings of 5% in public investment for six months, instead of taxing exports. She spoke during an interview on El Día news show of Telesistema (Channel 11) yesterday. The business sector has rejected penalizing the productive sectors on grounds that it is lethal for local competitiveness. Viyella says that the suggested 5% savings would amount to RD$4.1 billion (of a national budget of RD$83 billion), and would yield more than the estimated inflows from the proposed tax on exports. The business sector has requested an opinion on the constitutionality of the tax that the government is applying by presidential decree. The government responded by sending the bill to Congress, with a first stop in the Senate, where PRD senators comprise the absolute majority. This is not so, however, in the Chamber of Deputies following the failure of former house president, Rafaela (Lila) Alburquerque to get re-elected. As reported in the Listín Diario, Viyella says that she hopes the authorities will evaluate the negative effects the purportedly temporary surcharge on exports would have, as most exports are made with minimal profit margins. Viyella also urged that the government implement tributary reform now, rather than wait until after the May 2004 elections to do so. She urged that concrete solutions to the power situation be implemented, as well as a return to macroeconomic stability, in addition to finding ways to reduce banking interest rates, currently at all-time highs. She announced a national business convention for this coming November, at which time the various sectors would join forces to set a national business agenda. Viyella also highlighted the challenge ahead for the DR to integrate itself into the trade liberalization and the need to ensure that the agreements be in tune with Dominican developmental plans. |
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Electronic voting in 2004? Hoy newspaper announces in its main story today that the Central Electoral Board (JCE) plans to implement electronic voting for the 2004 presidential elections and has budgeted for a pilot project in Santo Domingo and Santiago. The announcement comes at a time when the JCE has shown itself to be vulnerable to electronic crimes. Earlier this year the JCE closed its web page after falling prey to hackers. Diario Libre reports that the president of the Administrative Chamber of the JCE, Nelson Gómez, has plans to use machines that were used in elections in Brazil and Paraguay. He said the political parties and civic society would have to approve the use of the new systems. The machines, reports the press, would be “loaned” to the JCE from Brazil. Paulo Sepúlveda, president of the Brazilian electoral body, showed the actual machines to the press yesterday. Santiago Murray, of the Organization of American States Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, also endorses the use of the machines. Electronic voting systems have reportedly been in use in Brazil since 1996. El Caribe newspaper says that Brazilian technology is being promoted as a fraud-proof innovation. The newspaper says that the Brazilians boast the fact that they were able to tabulate 90 million votes in five hours during the most recent presidential election in that country. A test trial would take place here this year. Meanwhile Diario Libre’s front-page headline today reveals that the District Attorney’s office has received about 25 complaints of alleged electronic crimes since March, bringing the total of such pending grievances to 150. And in a related story, El Caribe reports that Eduardo Estrella, the PRSC presidential, condemned the announcement that the National Department of Investigations (DNI) and the Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) would intervene in the JCE’s private investigations of the incidents that affected them electronically. Estrella feels the matter should be left to the JCE and the political parties. He said that “to place the responsibility for the JCE’s data security into the hands of governmental organizations would be like putting the church in the hands of Luther.” |
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Cell phones for city government Hoy newspaper reports today on the cell phone plan for 107 Santo Domingo city government officers, including 36 councillors, assistants and secretaries. The service costs Robert Salcedo’s PLD municipal government over RD$1 million a year. Nevertheless, the city has not been able to pay up the RD$6-million communications debt inherited from Santo Domingo’s previous mayor, Johnny Ventura (PRD). Domingo Contreras, secretary general of the city government, said that the cell phones for officers and assistants cost the municipality RD$70,000 a month. Gabriel Castro, president of the councillors, said the service costs the Sala Capitular RD$21,000 a month. |
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Hush hush about Lila’s finances El Caribe newspaper highlights today that Alfredo Pacheco, the new president of the Chamber of Deputies, is unwilling to release to the press the report on the Chamber finances under his predecessor, Rafaela (Lila) Alburquerque (PRSC-San Pedro de Macorís). Meanwhile, the newspaper reported on the trickle of vehicles, including deluxe SUVs and cars, that have been recovered, many in rickety condition. The newspaper says that the politicians assigned the vehicles also reaped additional benefits from the taxpayers’ funds, including full insurance coverage, vehicle maintenance, fuel costs and chauffeur service. Pacheco says he favors a policy in which the past is forgotten (“borrón y cuenta nueva”) that for years has been the norm in Dominican government. He viewed the Chamber’s debt of RD$6.5 million, owed to the Codetel telephone company for the payment of mobile phones assigned to deputies and those with influence in the Chamber, as a minor matter. In his opinion, Dominicans should not fuss over the fact that of the 224 contracted cell phones, 31 were allotted to Alburquerque, her children, mother, brothers and members of her security force, as well as to PRSC leaders, including the president of the PRSC, Rafael Bello Andino. |
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Who will negotiate for Dominican business? Business spokesman Ignacio Méndez complains of a lack of information from the government as to who will lead the Free Trade Agreement talks on behalf of the Dominican business sector. Méndez said that businesspeople have yet to be advised of which organization will take charge of negotiations on behalf of the government – the Ministry of Foreign Relations (as in the past) or the Ministry of Industry & Commerce (which recently has been the most vocal government organization on the subject of the FTA dealings). Recently, Dominican Ambassador in Washington, D.C. Hugo Guiliani said that he had done his job in getting the US Trade Representative Office to authorize that the DR be included in the FTA talks with Central America (CAFTA), and that now it was up to the private sector to negotiate the details. Méndez criticized the fact that, so far, the stand seems simply to be that the Dominican Republic will sign whatever Central American negotiators agree to, without participating in the talks. At the beginning of this year, the Dominican government dismantled the negotiating team that had been participating in alignment with other Caribbean negotiators in the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas talks. The government chose then to adopt an attitude of complacence with the US in order not to be excluded from the privileged arrangements that would be granted to Central America apparel manufacturers. |
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Most popular university careers Listín Diario reports on the findings of UASD, the state university, whereby the fields of study of 58,632 of the 85,955 students enrolled at the main campus can be narrowed down to seven programs. The most popular careers are management and marketing (12,845 students), medicine (10,209), accounting (9,222), education (9,001), law (7,251), civil engineering (5,282) and psychology (4,822). |
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Félix Sánchez got release for his father Hoy newspaper reports that President Hipólito Mejía authorized the release of the father of 400-meter hurdles world champion Felix Sánchez world from the Najayo jail two years ago, coinciding with the first of Sánchez’ wins. The track and field star was born in New York City of Dominican parents and has lived most of his life in the US, where he trained through California university system. Although eligible for a spot the US national team, Sánchez instead chose to represent the Dominican Republic in time for his participation in the Sydney Olympics. Sánchez has moved on to become the Dominican track athlete to achieve the highest honors of all time. Sánchez’s time of 47.25 in the event during the Paris world athletics games is the best for 2003, and puts him in record books as the 7th best in the event’s history. Sánchez has also helped other Dominican athletes get into mainstream athletics and has been notably proud of waving the Dominican Republic’s banner. Investigative TV producer Nuria Piera reported on the release of Sánchez’ father on her Channel 9 program on Sunday. The elder Sánchez was reportedly serving a sentence for drug charges. By law, there is no bail or any indulgence granted to those arrested on drug trafficking crimes. This is not the first time, however, that President Mejía has released a convicted drug trafficker. Earlier on in his government, the case of the so-called “Queen of Crack” made headlines, in which the convicted woman was released because her jail sentence was causing her acute depression. |
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Fabian swerves north As weather experts predicted, Hurricane Fabian has veered northwards and thus will not affect the Caribbean at all. A category-4 hurricane with winds up to 220 km/hr (140 mph), the storm has taken a west-northwest track. Local weather forecasters say that the residents in the northeast of the country should expect large swells and dangerous surf conditions as the storm pushes north. Otherwise, weather forecasts for the Caribbean are for bright skies and good weather for the upcoming days. For an updated position of the storm, see http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/graphics/AT10/refresh/AL1003W+GIF/010853W.gif |
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