The Dominican Republic is finally ready to enter DR-CAFTA. All that is needed now is for President George Bush to sign off on it. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce issued a statement explaining that President Leonel Fernandez had announced the modification of Law 340-06 regarding public contracting of goods and services, works and concessions, whose articles cover the principles of responsibility, morality and good faith of public servants, as well as the state. The law establishes the limitation of government employees who can contract goods, services, and works projects on behalf of the state. The law also requires for there to be public bidding for contracts when the contracts are worth RD$114.6 million and the acquisition of goods and services costing more than RD$3.8 million. There is also the law on bribery, which defines bribery as any act by a public official who asks for, or receives, additional benefits, while acting on behalf of the government, in order to give a financial benefit to a party. The country also has entered into the International Convention for the Protection of Vegetables (UPOV), as well as the Material Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and the Budapest Treaty.
A group of US legislators, mostly Democrats, is expected in the country today to study the situation in the country's bateyes (cane cutter settlements) and to determine the positive/negative effects that DR-CAFTA will have on the country. Democrat Congressman Eliot Engle from New York will be heading the delegation. Listin Diario reports that the visit could be in response to lobbying by pro-Haitian groups in the US that campaign against what they describe as conditions of slavery experienced by Haitians in the DR. The group is due to meet with President Leonel Fernandez and will also meet with Foreign Relations Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso.
Representatives from Mercosur and the Dominican Republic will meet in the Brazilian capital Brasilia tomorrow in order to continue discussions on political and economic issues that were begun almost a year ago. Manuel Morales Lama, Dominican ambassador to Brazil, said that Julio Ortega Tous, executive secretary of the National Commercial Negotiations Commissions would be heading the delegation.
The Junta Central Electoral (JCE) is working on a plan that would allow Dominicans living abroad to get their "cedula" identification and voting card in the US at a cost of US$45. The plan would increase the number of Dominicans abroad who can vote from an estimated 58,378 to more than 300,000, just in time for the 2008 elections. Dominicans living abroad could decide an election, if this happens. The work is being carried out with the Dominicans Abroad Voting Office, which was created in 2002, and that allowed thousands of Dominicans to vote in the 2004 elections. According to Listin Diario, many Dominicans in the US have an "old cedula" and aren't registered in the Junta's records. The project needs to be approved by the JCE.
The firing of the secretary general of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) Antonio Lockward Artiles was made official last night after what is being called a marathon session at the board. After the meeting, which lasted 10 hours, JCE president Julio Cesar Castanos explained that Lockward was fired because his presence at the JCE was untenable, especially following remarks he made in various media outlets earlier in the week about the SOMO case, in which he made allegations of irregularities in the contract for automating the civil registry.
The Customs Department has confiscated merchandise with an estimated value of RD$125 million, which the importers tried to bring into the country without paying taxes. The shipments carrying the merchandise originated in the United States, Panama, and China. Luis Sanchez, sub-director of Customs, explained that household appliances, alcoholic drinks and clothing accessories among other things were found in the shipments, belonging to what he called "a Mafia network". Sanchez also revealed that as a result of investigations into the network, five Finance Ministry officials and eight Customs agents have been fired. Diario Libre reports that dismissals of 14 other people involved are also pending.
Administrative Secretary of the Presidency Luis Manuel Bonetti was true to his word when he gave the Dominican Social Security Institute (IDSS) RD$39 million in back incentives owed to doctors. This was part of the total RD$111 million owed. The funds were given to IDSS director Sabino Baez. Bonetti assured the doctors that the rest of the money is included in next year's budget. Though he was happy with the payment, Sabino Baez says that such a delay should never happen again. Doctors went on strike on Wednesday morning and threatened to continue their action through Thursday, and longer if necessary, if they did not receive back incentives the government owed them. The government responded quickly, promising the disbursal of funds.
Journalist Adolfo Salomon was received at the Presidential Palace by Presidential Press Secretary Rafael Nunez yesterday. Nunez, speaking on behalf of the President, the head of the Armed Forces Ramon Antonio Aquino Garcia and the government, gave Salomon an apology for the recent controversy surrounding his dismissal. Salomon accepted Nunez's apology and said that all journalists should be able to ask questions without fear. He said that journalists shouldn't have to engage in self-censorship, and that they should be allowed to do their jobs ethically and truthfully. The scandal erupted last week when Salomon asked Cardinal Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez for his opinion on homosexuals in the military. The Cardinal responded, but seemed annoyed at the question. Days later Salomon was fired from his post at Color Vision, and head of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Ramon Antonio Aquino Garcia admitted to sending a letter to Color Vision's owners reprimanding them for Salomon's question.
Bribery is still a big issue in government in the Dominican Republic, according to a recent study. The study by the Center for Political and Social Studies at PUCMM University indicates that 13% of people had to bribe someone in government to get things done. "Minor corruption," as it is labeled, also indicates that 7% of people relied on personal connections in order to get things done in a timely fashion, and that 75% of the people who bribed someone handed the bribe money directly to the person who was serving them. The study also pointed out that in 81% of cases it is the public servant, not the customer who suggests a bribe would help. The study specifies that in 88.8% of cases involving the police, it was not the citizen who offered the bribe. And in schools, courts, and license issues 95.8%, 88.1% and 88.1% of the time the citizen did not initiate talk of bribery. A total of 1,878 people were interviewed for the study, which indicated that public schools, police affairs, courts, and getting a license were the places where the largest number of bribes exchanged hands. The study was conducted between 19 November 2005 and 20 December 2005, and covered Dominicans 18 years or older in the Santo Domingo area.
A report by Transparency International reveals that Latin America and Africa have the highest rates of corruption and bribery in the world. The study specifies that 23% of people in Latin America believe that their governments engage in corruption, but at the same time 54% of Dominicans feel that their government is either "efficient" or "very efficient" in the fight against corruption. 43% of Mexicans and 40% of Paraguayans feel that their governments are corrupt, while Bolivia noted the lowest percentage, with 7%.
A resolution congratulating Cuban leader Fidel Castro on the occasion of his 80th birthday sputtered in the lower chamber of Congress yesterday. The resolution was introduced for consideration by PRD member Christian Paredes, but his party as a whole did not support the resolution. PRD member Librado Castillo urged his fellow members to vote in favor of the resolution, and reminded his party affiliates that the PRD was in fact founded in Cuba, but many members still refused and said he had no right to tell them what to vote for. Some PLD and PRSC members were also in favor of the resolution, but El Caribe newspaper reports that many deputies left the chamber instead of voting, while others just voted "no".
Former president of the National Council for Private Business (Conep) Celso Marranzini has criticized the governmental proposal to tax diesel fuel by an extra RD$5. He said that this would affect business competitiveness because of the widespread use of diesel to fuel power generators that compensate for deficiencies in the governmental electricity service. He spoke out against the new insurance tax, which he described as another additional cost to doing business created by the government. As reported in El Caribe, he criticized the fact that tax increases are imposed for political convenience. He also called on the government to install "smart" power meters.
Congress is studying the bill, and already senator Reinaldo Pared Perez said that the PLD senators and deputies would vote in favor of the bill as sent.
The outgoing president of the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD) Yandra Portela says that the new proposal presented by President Leonel Fernandez makes it clear that the government has no intention of cutting its spending in 2007. She said that a preliminary analysis of the bill sent to Congress shows that the proposed taxes will generate much more than the RD$17 billion that the government says it needs to balance the budget. She told the press that the government has undervalued what these taxes will raise by about 50%, according to a technical study commissioned by the AIRD. She points out, however, that the same analysis shows that the announced austerity measures will not produce the savings because most of the spending cuts come with exceptions and conditions, such as revoking them if the government collects more than established. Furthermore, she says the government has not set these in relation to the Gross Domestic Product, or in absolute terms. "Since the GDP will grow, the proportional relationship will be lower, but when you see the real amount of money, the government will be spending more than last year. That is, there is no true political will to reduce spending," said Portela, who says this was confirmed when the President announced a timid reduction of 20% in its advertising budget, but then did not include this in the bill he sent to Congress.
Portela concluded that "the proposed increase in taxes is damaging to the economy, will affect Dominican society and will have a negative impact on production, and is unnecessary because the 2007 fiscal year could be handled with a true austerity plan."
Fifteen American surgeons have concluded their stay in the Dominican Republic. The doctors, from the Virginia-based organization Doctors for Peace, were in the country performing reconstructive surgery on 15 youngsters. Most of the injuries were burn-related. This is the third time doctors have come to the country on a mission of this type, and they operated on around 100 children. Burn Unit Director at the Arturo Grullon Children's Hospital Julio Marte Sime told El Caribe newspaper that thanks to these doctors, underprivileged children are able to have these operations. Each surgery costs about RD$100,000, an unaffordable sum for these children's families.
The National Drug Control Department (DNCD) has arrested two French citizens and a Dutch citizen who tried to exit the county with drugs. The three were apprehended at the Puerto Plata airport. Frenchman Arnaud Franck Remirez and Ana Isabel Judez Jimenez were caught with 10 packets of either heroin or cocaine in their suitcase, while Jose Alberto Smith was caught with the drugs in his stomach. The DNCD is investigating their connection to the country and where they got the drugs from. In related news, drug trafficker Jairo Enrique Taveras was handed over to the US authorities so that he can be tried in a New York court. Taveras was found in the Villa Consuelo sector of Santo Domingo with forged documents, under the name Virgilio Acevedo de los Santos.
It wasn't a televised ESPN event, but Daniel Arias Abad is still excited after his victory in the national spelling bee yesterday. Abad, from San Jose de Ocoa, won the contest that was televised on Antena Latina, Channel 7. The event was sponsored through the First Lady's office, the Ministry of Education and the Banco de Reservas. Arias Abad received prizes of a bank account at the Banco de Reservas with RD$50,000, RD$8,000 in cash and a laptop computer. Children from all around the country took part. The runners-up also received RD$8,000 and laptop computers.
Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, in association with the Boston Red Sox, has donated US$200,000 to the Dominican Heart Care Foundation. The funds will help cover costs for underprivileged children who have had or need to have heart surgery. Ortiz met with about 50 children at the Center for Advanced Medicine and Telemedicine at the Plaza de la Salud yesterday.
The Aguilas continued their winning ways over Licey with an 8-4 victory last night at Estadio Cibao. It seems as if Licey has no answer for the Aguilas, as this is the Aguilas' seventh win in a row against Licey. The Gigantes experienced only their second loss in 16 games last night as they were beaten 5-1 by the Azucareros. Though they maintain first spot in the baseball standings, they can't afford to start losing games so close to the playoffs. And Escogido fans across the DR are celebrating their team's second win in a row after they beat the Estrellas 2-1. On Wednesday Escogido broke a 14-game losing streak, basically ending all hope for a playoff birth, but strong play at the end of the season could save face for this popular team.
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