Following a meeting with President Leonel Fernandez at the National Palace, American ambassador to the Dominican Republic Hans Hertell ruled out the possibility that the Dominican Republic would not enter the DR-CAFTA agreement, and reiterated that the accord had been ratified by Congress and that there is enough political support to push the free trade agreement through. Hertell says that he believes that politicians are very close to resolving all differences, and that the process is its final stages. Industry and Commerce Minister Francisco Javier Garcia flies to Washington next week to discuss the remaining DR-CAFTA laws.
Even though two oil tankers have arrived in the Dominican Republic, apparently ending the recent fuel shortages, many gas stations were still without fuel as of last night. Contradictions continue between the explanations given by the Shell Oil Company, the government and the Venezuelan authorities for the reasons behind the lack of fuel. Although the Dominican Refinery SA (Refidomsa) had begun dispatching more than 18 million gallons of fuel in the hope of easing the shortage, many gas stations remained without fuel yesterday, causing long lines at the stations that did receive fuel. Adding to the problem is the announcement by the Association of Transporters that Texaco has canceled 20 contracts, and is looking to cancel 12 more. Texaco says that they have no relationship with some drivers because they are Chevron Caribbean employees.
Industry and Commerce Minister Francisco Javier Garcia has said that if necessary a fuel rationing system will be put in place and the government will take on responsibility for controlling the distribution quotas.
Meanwhile, the Shell Oil Company has said that it is not directly responsible for the oil shortage that threatened to paralyze the country over the last week, and assured that the conflict is between Chevron-Texaco and the transportation unions. In a letter from Shell that was sent to Hoy newspaper, the company specifies that the shortages were caused by the delay in fuel delivery.
The letter also clarifies that the shortages in diesel fuel was caused by the exit of Coastal from the market and the recent problems with the Haina-Itabo energy generators. The generators required more fuel, which in turn decreased the amount available for public use.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has met with Dominican Foreign Minister Carlos Troncoso, and agreed to aid the DR in stopping energy fraud with the possible implementation of pre-paid energy meters. Troncoso points out that 80% of South African energy is monitored through such meters. Aside from being fraud-proof, they are also wireless. Mbeki also promised that his country would support the DR's bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The DR will also receive the support of India.
Finance Minister Vincent Bengoa, speaking at the Biarritz Forum in Paris, France, announced yesterday that in the last 10 years the value of remittances from Dominicans living abroad has been eight times higher than the total funds the country has received from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB). Between 1995 and 2005 the country received US$2,170,300 billion from the international financiers while at the same time receiving US$17,799,900 from Dominicans abroad. This total also exceeds the US$7,000 billion in exports. Bengoa made these comments during a speech titled, "Immigration and the flow of remittances." He also stated that remittances accounted for 31% of imports during that same 10-year period.
Presidential Administrative Secretary Luis Manuel Bonetti has confirmed that NGOs run by legislators and senators would not be included in the 2007 budget. Bonetti says that excluding the NGOs will save the government RD$360 million, and that the NGOs belonging to legislators take up 70% of the budget destined for 1,545 NGOs in the country. The 210 members of the national assembly, 32 senators and 178 deputies had a total of 576 NGOs, which received more than RD$29.5 million a month.
The recently completed Senate term spent more money on "botellas" than on its official payroll. "Botella" is the popular nickname for the disguised corrupt practice of having no-show "employees" in spite of collecting their monthly paychecks. Clave weekly newspaper reports the Senate spent RD$851,239 monthly to pay 76 such employees and an additional RD$217,539 monthly on employees who were on permanent leave of absence, which added up to RD$12.8 million yearly, according to an audit report.
The government has added RD$1.669 billion to this year's budget to cover payroll. This is 4.2% higher than approved by Congress. With this, the authorities have given in to political temptations in the use of the national budget, in breach of their promise to control expenditure, according to a report by Clave weekly newspaper. In the first months of his administration, President Leonel Fernandez promised to maintain a policy of austerity and said he would reduce the payroll by 20%. In 2004, the Central Bank reported that the government had managed to reduce its workforce by 39,316 jobs.
The Dominican monetary authorities have identified some 30 bank accounts said to belong to financier and former BanInter consultant Luis Alvarez Renta. Clave weekly newspaper reports that efforts to identify the property and resources of the economist, who is being processed for alleged asset laundering in the BanInter case, have extended to three states in the US, as well as to Switzerland, Panama and the DR. According to Central Bank Legal Consultant Fidel Pichardo Baba, the initiative is aimed at bringing about the execution of a US court ruling that sentenced Alvarez Renta to pay the BanInter Liquidation Commission US$176.9 million. The Dominican authorities expect to mirror the US sentence in the country. Assets in Panama are being tracked down through the Banking Superintendence there. In the US state of Colorado, the authorities have located assets that allegedly belong to Alvarez Renta but are in the name of corporations. The Swiss bank accounts are practically empty, according to Pichardo Baba. Central Bank authorities, the BanInter Liquidation Commission and the Banking Superintendence have requested the seizure of Listin Diario shares and other assets related to the accused in the BanInter case, Ramon Baez Figueroa, Marcos Baez Cocco, Vivian Lubrano de Castillo, Luis Alvarez Renta and Jesus Maria Troncoso Ferrua. The petition was filed with the Attorney General's Department.
The Chamber of Deputies is examining the possibility of establishing a standard price for issuing official document extracts, full version documents, or any other type of certificate. The study will include the proposal for establishing a salary for officials and personnel who work at city registries. The proposal was presented by Luis Jose Gonzalez Sanchez and includes fines of between RD$20,000 and RD$500,000 and jail terms of between six months and two years for anyone who breaks the law. Extracts would cost RD$45, full versions RD$55, copies of certificates RD$65, and birth certificates for registering a child for school would be free of charge. Document legalizations would cost RD$20. Other prices include marriage licenses RD$300, document applications for outside the DR RD$80, document rectification RD$50, adoption documents RD$150, and divorce certificates RD$300.
Diario Libre is reporting the possibility that Central Electoral Board (JCE) workers are involved in the irregular issue of late birth declarations for Haitians illegally residing in the country. Diario Libre says they have received reports of Haitians who were caught with forged documents, and named JCE workers who allegedly helped them to obtain the fakes. Many of the Haitians also claimed that NGOs that defend Haitians had helped them in the process. The JCE offices at La Feria, Los Minas, Ensanche Luperon, Villa Mella and Boca Chica are among those being investigated.
The Center for Exportation and Investment (CEI-RD) is working on a plan aimed at attracting investors who are interested in converting solid waste to energy to the country. CEI-RD president Eddy Martinez has signed an agreement with the Dominican Corporation of State Electric Companies (CDEEE), the National Energy Commission, the National District city council and the Environmental Ministry in order to map out possible strategies for attracting investors.
Hoy newspaper is reporting that at least 40% of the fake medicines that enter the country come from Colombia and Venezuela. This is according to Claudio Almonte, director of Investigations and Falsifications for the Association of Representatives, Agents and Pharmaceutical Producers (ARAPF). This black market sector produces RD$30 million a month. Almonte said that the medicines are brought into the country by Dominican and Haitian women who are used as mules.
The National Drug Control Department (DNCD) announced today that it would be recruiting young people age 18 to 25 to take part in operational intelligence functions, as part of the re-structuring being carried out in the anti-narcotics agency. According to El Caribe, the DNCD chief Major General Rafael Radhames Ramirez Ferreira said that the first group of over 50 young men and women would be selected to receive training and will join the operational forces next January.
Forensic researcher Guadalupe Chocano has revealed that the human remains found in a cave in Spain in 2002 do not belong to Christopher Columbus, but are in fact those of his brother Diego Columbus. Chocano, a researcher at the Madrid Naval Academy, presented her findings in a thesis titled, "Columbus and the Atlantic Islands." She explained that Diego Columbus had physical disabilities, discernible through his handwriting, and that his identity had been verified by forensic and anthropological studies.
DR1 incorrectly reported yesterday that the plastic shortage that has halted the issue of cedulas affects all Central Electoral Board (JCE) branches. We would like to specify that only the Santiago JCE has temporarily stopped issuing the identity cards because of the lack of plastic. Jaime Frias Carela, president of the Santiago JCE said that the office had previously issued 150 cedulas daily, and that since the 16 May Congressional and municipal elections they have been receiving 400 to 500 applications per day.
DR1 would also like to make a correction to an article yesterday titled "US to comment on DR-CAFTA laws". DR1 stated that the Dominicans are waiting for the Office of the United States Trade Representative to revise certain Dominican laws. This is incorrect, since foreign governments can only review Dominican laws, and then ask for changes, but they can never revise Dominican laws.
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