| Daily News - Tuesday, 28 September 2004 |
President Leonel Fernandez met yesterday for two and a half hours with the presidents of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, US Ambassador Hans Hertell and Monsignor Agripino Nunez at the Presidential Palace. The purpose of the encounter was to find a solution to the impasse over the corn syrup surcharge that was included in the approved tax reform bill. Ambassador Hertell reaffirmed that if the local authorities uphold the 25% surcharge on corn syrup imports ratified by Congress, the DR would be excluded from the free trade agreement signed with the US in August 2004, as reported in the Listin Diario. The US would proceed and unilaterally grant FTA status to the other Central American signatory countries, leaving the DR out of the agreement. Listin Diario reports that the President will most likely sign the bill today as it stands, thereafter sending an amendment to Congress that would nullify the 25% surcharge. As per the Dominican Constitution, unless the President vetoes the law, he must sign it within the eight days after having received it and publish it within 15 days of its signing for it to go into effect. Meanwhile, Adozona said that a suspension of the FTA would represent the loss of thousands of local jobs because contract work would migrate to companies located in Central America and Mexico.
PUCMM professor of economy Federico Cuello feels the DR would be better off to discontinue the FTA proceedings with the US. "The DR-CAFTA continues to be touted as the salvation to achieving free trade with the US before the culmination of the FTAA. As if the trade preferences are to expire before 2008," he writes today in El Caribe. Cuello explains that in order to obtain the DR-CAFTA the country let the US lead its foreign policy. The DR sent troops to Iraq. It voted to exclude the US from the jurisdiction of the International Penal Court. There was a movement to reform our local law on intellectual property by decree. Nevertheless, no one can show the first-impact study to justify the rush. We also prejudiced, gratis, our negotiating positions before the WTO and the FTAA, he continues, and those who defend the adhesion to the pact remained mute. "They preferred to inaugurate public works financed with sovereign bonds," he writes. As a former Dominican ambassador to the World Trade Organization based in Geneva, he recalls how he sent a letter on 27 May 2002 that enumerated how the Dominican negotiating positions would be affected on issues such as agriculture and intellectual property. He received no response to this letter. Cuello criticizes the fact that, in order to sign the DR-CAFTA, the country accepted a to dock its accord to the ongoing CAFTA negotiations and in which our representatives were only able to bargain pre-selected items. "They couldn't change one comma to the text of the agreement," he writes. "And they did nothing to dismantle the real barriers that impede us from exporting. They left our farming sector defenceless for the US$18 billion in internal aid, subsidized credits and the guarantees granted by the US."
Interior & Police Minister Franklin Almeyda Rancier said that neither his office nor the National Police would reveal the names of those police generals who illicitly made use of recovered stolen vehicles because the new penal code does not allow it. Journalist Rafael Molina Morillo had asked Almeyda, as the overseer of the National Police, to publicize the names of the generals, arguing that the recently ratified Law of Freedom of Information obliges the government to release public information on request. Almeyda says that following an investigation, seven officers of the institution, of whom four are still active, will be brought to justice. Almeyda said that none of the officers has yet been suspended and that it is up to the National Police's Superior Council to decide on the status of these agents. Almeyda said that following an investigation, 128 vehicles, of an estimated 300 that are missing, have been returned by police and military officers. He said that of these, 34 have been returned to their rightful owners or to the Dominican Chamber of Insurance Companies (CADOAR), in those cases where claims had already been paid. The minister also said there are 44 vehicles pending because the chassis numbers are unidentifiable. Diario Libre had also requested the names given the rights granted by the Freedom of information Law.
Juan Miguel Castillo Pantaleon, a lawyer and former judge, said that the new penal code as established by Law 76-02 will make it very difficult to sentence jail terms for members of the previous government suspected of corruption. He told Hoy newspaper that, according to the new code, if prosecutors do not present a formal accusation in three months' time, the criminal case will fall through and be forcefully abandoned by the judiciary. Castillo Pantaleon said that, due to its design, the new code personalizes the process so that the prosecutor who begins the case must also end it. He criticized what he appraised to be a system that is slanted in favor of the accused, instead of the victim, and said there is no way prosecutors can be present in all the different courts where hearings will be held. The new three-month limit on court cases will allow those who otherwise would be proclaimed guilty to obtain their freedom without any kind of formality. He said the victim will suffer twice – once at the hands of the offender and a second time for the inefficient procedural mechanisms. In an editorial today, Hoy newspaper predicts that the "revolutionary" new penal procedures code may go the way of the equally-modern Social Security Law that has languished and remained a theoretical plan only, unable to be put into practice for lack of resources. The newspaper expresses its hope that the necessary efforts be made to reconcile the penal code's theory and practice.
The tax reform bill sent by the Senate to the Executive Branch for its ratification is plagued with errors, reports the Listin Diario today. Senate leader Andres Bautista said that because of time constraints, untoward circumstances and a general rush, the tax reform package was forwarded with errors still remaining in its text, but that they are aware of them. He said the bill they received from the Chamber of Deputies contained many errors that the Executive Branch will have to correct. Bautista made clarified that these glitches were detected by the special commission that studied the bill in Congress. He said that the Senate thereby alerted the director of the Tax Department, Juan Hernandez, who assured that they would deal with the situation.
The Public Works Ministry has repaired the two bridges that suffered damages following the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Jeanne in the eastern region of the country last week. The government removed the debris caused by the intense rainfall that came when the storm remained stationary over the area for several hours on Thursday, 16 September. The repairs were vital to allow for the circulation of vehicles to deliver fuel and food items, as well as other forms of relief to Miches. The road also opens the possibility of transporting these items further on to Higuey and the touristic areas of Bavaro and Punta Cana that were isolated by the destroyed roadways. The repairs now permit drivers to continue on to El Seibo, then to Hato Mayor and San Pedro de Macoris and to Santo Domingo. Another option is to connect via Miches with Sabana de la Mar and then Hato Mayor to San Pedro de Macoris. The Listin Diario reports that the stretch that had been opened between El Seibo and Sabana del Cuey is still open, although traffic is slow and there are long lines to make the crossing. Now there are two land crossings to Higuey, a considerable improvement over the area that was completely inaccessible for a week following Jeanne. Meanwhile, Lisette Gil of the Association of Hotels of La Romana-Bayahibe urged that the government seek the help of the United States to install one of the bridges used by the US Army to replace the Chavon bridge crossing and allow vehicular traffic right away. At present, El Caribe reports that most supplies to the Bayahibe area are being transported by boat across the river.
Colombian award-winning and bestselling author Laura Restrepo is visiting the DR to promote her works. She will present her latest novel "Delirio" for which she won the Premio Alfaguara 2004. She will speak at the Paraninfo de Humanidades at the UASD at 5pm and will also meet with the general public at Thesaurus bookstore at what time?.
US Ambassador Hans Hertell says that Dominican cigars are "in" again, after US President George W Bush was seen smoking them, as well as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Hertell says that the demand is such that every time he travels to the US he must take a box with him to distribute among the US president, government officers and his friends, reports the Listin Diario. The Cigar Family Charitable Foundation is organizing its second annual "Toast Across America" to be held on Thursday, 7 October. Money raised from last year's drive in the US has been invested to build a new school, medical facility and recreational area in a low-income area. The Fuentes cigar company's foundation reports that this year, over 100 sites, representing every state in the US, will be participating in TAA 2004. Their headquarters will be in New York City's Washington Heights at the Dyckman Marina and will offer a catered tent affair featuring the music of Oro Solido and special guest Arturo Sandoval. The NYC event is expected to sell out in a matter days.
The Dominican Professional Winter Baseball Championship opens 22 October with games to be played in Santo Domingo (Licey vs Escogido), San Francisco de Macoris (Aguilas Cibaenas vs Gigantes del Cibao) and San Pedro de Macoris (Estrellas Orientales vs Toros del Este). The cost of the games, however, may spoil the fun for many and make attending the games completely impossible for others. Hoy newspaper reports that front-row seat tickets (Palco A) for the first week will cost RD$550, up from RD$300 last year. Palco AA will cost RD$300, up from RD$150 last year. Seats in the "Preferencia" category that cost RD$75 last year will now cost RD$200. The bleachers will maintain the same price as last year at RD$30 per person.
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