President Medina visits southwest to deliver title deeds
Base interest rate increased to 5.5%
Congress eliminates RD$100,000 starter capital requirement for companies
Government invests in factories for manufacturing military clothing
Environmentalists say farming has increased in protected area
New United States’ Ambassador meets Dominican ambassador
Dominican firefighters trained in Lawrence, Massachusetts
Barges now collecting garbage on Ozama River
ProCompetencia focuses on new price increases
Why does the skylift keep going out of service when it rains?
Major cocaine haul in the east, lead suspect is well known
Dead fish in Puerto Plata
Banco del Progreso up for sale
Corruption, or a sweet deal gone sour for Robinson Cano
Gold at the Central American & Caribbean Sports Games
President Medina visits southwest to deliver title deeds
On Monday 23 July 2018, President Danilo Medina handed over 889 title deeds for plots of land in Azua, to families who had been occupying these lands for more than 15 years. The initiative benefits 3,068 persons directly. There were 5.7 million square meters of land involved that was given to 767 families in the municipalities of Azua and Sabana Yegua and the communities of Kilometer 7, Los Jovillos, Ansonia, Las Barias, Project IV and kilometer 11.
According to the director of the Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD), Emilio Toribio Olivo, this is the third time the President has handed over title deeds in the province, making a total of 4,318 titles given to beneficiaries that covers 9.3 million square meters. The land was planted with plantains, bananas, mango, corn, cassava and pasture.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...azua-reciben-titulos-definitivos-de-propiedad
Base interest rate increased to 5.5%
The Central Bank announced it has increased the base interest rate from 5.25% to 5.5%. The decision was adopted in a monetary policy meeting for July 2018. Now the overnight rate for deposits increases to 4% per year, up from 3.75% and the repos rate is at 7% from 6.75%.
The Central Bank points out that accumulated inflation for the first six months of the year was 1.43%, while on an annual base it is 4.63%, that is still within the range contemplated for the period of 4% plus or minus 1%.
https://bancentral.gov.do/a/d/4029-bcrd-incrementa-su-tasa-de-politica-monetaria-a-550--anual
Congress eliminates RD$100,000 starter capital requirement for companies
Acting on a motion presented by the commission promoted by the National Competitiveness Council and the Presidency, deputies and senators have amended Law 469-08 on company formation. The law now establishes that the shareholders will set the initial capital. In the past, the capital had to be RD$100,000, which became an obstacle for the formalization of businesses.
The president of the industry and commerce commission of the Chamber of Deputies, Ulises Rodriguez said the initiative is part of a series of amendments to improve the business climate.
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/diputados-modifican-la-ley-469-08-AH10420819
Government invests in factories for manufacturing military clothing
The Ministry of Defense has announced that as of 2 August 2018, the Ministry of Defense has its own factory to manufacture uniforms for soldiers, police and members of the specialized corps. Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Rubén Paulino Sem, explained that the first factory would be in the municipality of Bonao. President Danilo Medina is expected to be present for the opening. A second factory would open shortly in San Cristóbal.
Lieutenant General Paulino said that these businesses will have a major impact on the area where they are located. He said the military will realize a savings of 50% compared to current procurement practices. He said at present, the military expends RD$4,900 for a full uniform for an officer.
The factories would be located in free zones employing young operators. In the first stage there would be 200 operators in Bonao and 80 in San Cristobal. In addition to the uniforms, the factories would manufacture the insignias, the embroidering and other parts of the soldier uniforms.
According to Paulino Sem, in the future they would also make boots and shoes for the military as well as underwear. He explained that to date this is a pilot project and that the President was interested in installing more factories in the border region, such as Pedernales where the free zone was practically closed and also in Neiba.
The new factories mean less work for local businesses that previously were contracted by the government.
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep.../ministerio-de-defensa-abrira-fabrica-militar
Environmentalists say farming has increased in protected area
Grupo Jaragua denounced that after former Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito had announced the salvaging of the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park from farming operations, these are back now that there is a change at the helm of the Ministry. Reports are that roads have been opened to give access to farming in Los Arroyos in Pedernales province, as published by Diario Libre. In a press release, the group says that a person “with connections in the government” is planting 1,700 tareas of onions inside the park area.
“After we made two calls to deputy ministers at the Ministry of Environment, it became clear on whose side the political power stood in this conflict,” states the Grupo Jaragua in the press release. Apparently, the works to facilitate farming have been authorized by the government.
Fausto Gomera, president of the Socidad Ecologica de Pedernales, said it is painful that this happens only days after the visit of President Danilo Medina to Pedernales where he repeated several times that he would only back farmers that operated outside of the protected area.
https://www.diariolibre.com/medioam...colas-en-parque-sierra-de-bahoruco-GE10418806
New United States’ Ambassador meets Dominican ambassador
The named US ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Robin S. Bernstein, met with the Dominican ambassador in Washington, D.C., José Tomás Pérez. During the visit, she expressed her gratitude to the Dominican people for opening doors to the Jews fleeing from the holocaust in Europe during World War II.
Bernstein, who is Jewish, said that it was an honor for her to be the second women ambassador to the country. She said that she was interested in supporting education, the empowerment of women and the mitigation of disasters.
She also said that she would work hard to continue to increase trade between the two countries and focus on humanitarian, cultural and educational exchanges to reaffirm the values of democracy, liberty and human rights.
http://eldia.com.do/embajadora-de-ee-uu-expresa-gratitud-hacia-republica-dominicana/
Dominican firefighters trained in Lawrence, Massachusetts
The Lawrence Fire Department in Massachusetts provided training in Lawrence to firefighters from the Dominican Republic from 13 to 20 July 2018. The Dominican firefighters learned how to conduct emergency rescue operations involving road accidents as well as fires in buildings. This is the second summer Dominican firefighters have come to Lawrence for such training. The firefighters were from Neyba and large numbers of immigrants in Lawrence are from the DR. The firefighters were hosted by Lawrence families.
https://www.boston25news.com/news/m...ponders-from-the-dominican-republic/796371704
Barges now collecting garbage on Ozama River
Two boats, a harvester and marine waste compactor, entered into the Ozama and Isabela Rivers yesterday, Tuesday 24 July 2018 to collect solid waste that is contaminating the rivers and the coast of Greater Santo Domingo. The vessels have the capacity to collect aquatic plants, plastic and other solid waste.
The two special boats have been acquired by the Tropigas Foundation as part of the Ribera Verde Project at a cost of RD$10 million and can travel for 20 kilometers a day from La Cienega to Los Tres Brazos. They will be operated by members of the Dominican Navy and collaborators from the foundation. They had been imported prior to avoid a disaster such as the 10 July overflow of plastic and were about to be put into use when the rain remnants of Tropical Storm brought intense rains causing tons of garbage attributed to 14 barrios along the river to flow down to the shoreline.
Carlos José Martí, president of the Tropigás Foundation, explained that having collected the garbage they will deposit it in strategic locations, and it would later be removed by brigades designated by the local authorities.
Marti explained the company is working on the urban renewal of La Cienaga barrio, where 50% of the homes had been painted and each home had three garbage cans so that waste can be disposed of in an efficient way, rather than the residents throwing waste into the river.
The Ribera Verde project encompasses the management of wastes, sanitation and rescue of gullies; environmental education; reforestation; preventive health; and community participation as a corporate social responsibility contribution to national environmental problems. The two barges will be complemented with the installation of a hydrobiological system at the mouth of the ravines that carry greater waste to the channels of both tributaries. And the project includes mapping the rivers for the collecting of waste from 27 sectors in the National District, Santo Domingo Norte and Santo Domingo Este that border the river.
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...a-de-basura-en-el-ozama-con-barcos-especiales
http://eldia.com.do/dos-barcos-de-tropigas-recogeran-basura-de-rios/
ProCompetencia focuses on new price increases
The National Commission for the Defense of Competition (ProCompetencia) has warned about the increase in the prices of chicken, citrus fruits, powdered milk, transport charges, metal bars, eggs, rice and bottled natural and mineral water. The details are contained in the Observatory of the Conditions of Competition in the Markets for the first quarter 2018.
The Commission highlighted that the prices of these items increased from January to March this year, some due to the cost of the higher cost of the raw material and higher production costs, in addition the increase in the cost of fuel.
The main increases were to avocados (12.63%); sour limes (20.32%); sour oranges (8.37%); cassava (6.09%); yautia (1.84%); tobacco (2.19%); cigarettes (2.54%); tourist packages (6.19%) and language classes (1.35%).
ProCompetencia highlights that according to the Central Bank, inflation during the same period was 0.55% which was heavily influenced by an increase in the products in the Non Alcoholic Drink and Food category.
http://hoy.com.do/advierte-sobre-alza-en-precios-de-varios-productos-de-la-canasta-basica/
Why does the skylift keep going out of service when it rains?
Executive director of the Unit for the Re-Adaptation of Barquita and Surroundings (URBE), José Miguel González Cuadra, said the operations of the new Santo Domingo Cable Car (Teleferico) should not shut down during rainstorms. He said that in the next few days the office for the Reorganization of Transport (Opret) would offer more information about the recent stops in the service of this new system of passenger transport.
Before its inauguration, Engineer Jahel Isa, one of the executives on the works said that the Teleferico was designed to continue operating in winds up to 70 kilometers an hour. If the weather is a cause of concern, the skylift cabs will be kept in a special garage. In case of a power outage, the system can continue operating with its own power plant.
Last Thursday, 21 July 2018, Opret also promised to explain why the service had been suspended several times since the inauguration.
http://hoy.com.do/urbe-estima-lluvia-no-debe-detener-teleferico-de-sd/
Major cocaine haul in the east, lead suspect is well known
The National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) with the support of other organizations confiscated 368 packages, of what presumably is cocaine off the southeastern coast in the province of La Romana. The raid occurred when a speedboat was intercepted trying to unload the drugs, near Palmilla beach, near Bayahibe.
DNCD spokesman, Carlos Devers, said that the captain of the boat was arrested and authorities are now looking for other members of the gang who were waiting on shore for the boat captain. The other suspects escaped on foot as the operation unfolded.
The DNCD reported the main suspect, 57-year old Jose Medina Acosta, captain of the boat, is a repeat offender with four previous accusations for drug trafficking since 2008.
http://www.dncd.gob.do/index.php/no...paquetes-presumiblemente-cocaina-en-la-romana
http://eldia.com.do/dncd-ocupa-368-paquetes-de-cocaina-en-la-romana/
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/apresado-con-coca-en-la-romana-es-reincidente-DH10421376
Dead fish in Puerto Plata
Technicians from the Dominican Council for Fishing and Aquiculture (CODOPESCA) have travelled to Puerto Plata to investigate the causes for the deaths of dozens of fish and other species in a lake in the Playa Dorada hotel and condominium complex.
Head of the CODOPESCA office in Puerto Plata, Román Tolentino Acosta, said that they will take water samples and several dead fish from the lagoon to carry out toxicology protocol to determine the causes of the fish die-off.
Tolentino Acosta said that they were going to the lagoon on instructions from the executive director of CODOPESCA, Milton Ginebra Morales, following several complaints from people about the dead fish. He said as soon as the results were known and if it is discovered that the fish were poisoned, the culprits behind this crime would be sanctioned.
There is speculation that a chemical substance could have been put into the lagoon, as supposedly investors want to get rid of the lagoon to erect buildings on the site. But Manuel Finke, of the Playa Dorada Hotel & Condominiums Association speculated that the fish could have died as a result of the overflow of salt water from the ocean entering the lagoons due to the rising water levels due to the intense rains on Tuesday, 10 July 2018. The fish in the lagoons cannot handle salt water.
http://eldia.com.do/autoridades-investigan-muerte-de-decenas-de-peces-en-laguna-de-playa-dorada/
Banco del Progreso up for sale
The owners of 95% of the shares of the Banco del Progreso have put these up for sale. In the past, there were rumors Scotia Bank would purchase the bank. The sale is for US$328 million. Total assets are RD$57.5 million, around US$115 million. Delinquent payment rate for the bank is at 2.15%. The announcement is signed by the president of the board of the bank, Juan Bautista Vicini Lluberes.
http://eldia.com.do/inversionistas-mayoritarios-del-banco-del-progreso-venden-sus-acciones/
Corruption, or a sweet deal gone sour for Robinson Cano
He had been suspended for 80 days for using steroids, and now it is known that in February 2018 the baseball player benefited from a land purchase of 11,000 tareas (1 tarea = 629 sq. meters) from the State Sugar Council (CEA). A report in Acento says that baseball player purchased 10,937 tareas (6,977,744.58 square meters) at a “provisional price of RD$7.80 and RD$8 the meter and RD$5,500 the tarea in some other cases for RD$55,034,984 million. But Resolution 004-2016 had ruled that a minimum of US$10.50 per square meter needed to be paid. Acento says the government was losing RD$3 billion on the sale. The sale also means the community, Batey Aleman, would need to be evicted.
The story in Acento says that the property is not in his name, but in the name of relatives, including Joselito Canó Soriano, Esmeralda Sosa, Claudia Canó Soriano, Reyna Soriano and Gery Enrique Camarena Morla. In the name of Joselino Canó Soriano there are 5,063 tareas valued at RD$25,529,150. Law 141-97 orders that any transaction that is more than 200 minimum wages requires congressional approval. In order to expedite the sale, it was separated into multiple transactions to keep below the minimum.
In February 2018, the director of the CEA, Pedro Mota Pacheco said that the sale could not continue because the property had been leased to Porvenir Sugar Mill and there is a legal process going on. The sale also violates an order from the government that impeded the sale of property without the express authorization by the Executive Branch.
The CEA is under the limelight after investigative journalist Alicia Ortega presented a report on major wasteful spending at the entity.
https://acento.com.do/2018/actualid...-perdida-al-estado-de-mas-de-rd3000-millones/
http://hoy.com.do/el-gobierno-gasta-3-1-mm-al-mes-en-ingenios-inoperantes/
Gold at the Central American & Caribbean Sports Games
Weightlifter Verónica Saladín and gymnast Audrys Nin Reyes won gold on Tuesday, 24 July 2018 in the Central American & Caribbean Sports Games that are taking place in Barranquilla, Colombia. Santana lifted for gold in the 90 kg category. Nin Reyes won the vault competition. These were the ninth and tenth gold medal won by the Dominican team, that is in fifth place overall in the championship with 41 medals, including 10 gold, 10 silver and 21 bronze.
http://eldia.com.do/veronica-saladin-gana-oro-en-levantamiento-de-pesas-en-juegos-centroamericanos/
Base interest rate increased to 5.5%
Congress eliminates RD$100,000 starter capital requirement for companies
Government invests in factories for manufacturing military clothing
Environmentalists say farming has increased in protected area
New United States’ Ambassador meets Dominican ambassador
Dominican firefighters trained in Lawrence, Massachusetts
Barges now collecting garbage on Ozama River
ProCompetencia focuses on new price increases
Why does the skylift keep going out of service when it rains?
Major cocaine haul in the east, lead suspect is well known
Dead fish in Puerto Plata
Banco del Progreso up for sale
Corruption, or a sweet deal gone sour for Robinson Cano
Gold at the Central American & Caribbean Sports Games
President Medina visits southwest to deliver title deeds
On Monday 23 July 2018, President Danilo Medina handed over 889 title deeds for plots of land in Azua, to families who had been occupying these lands for more than 15 years. The initiative benefits 3,068 persons directly. There were 5.7 million square meters of land involved that was given to 767 families in the municipalities of Azua and Sabana Yegua and the communities of Kilometer 7, Los Jovillos, Ansonia, Las Barias, Project IV and kilometer 11.
According to the director of the Dominican Agrarian Institute (IAD), Emilio Toribio Olivo, this is the third time the President has handed over title deeds in the province, making a total of 4,318 titles given to beneficiaries that covers 9.3 million square meters. The land was planted with plantains, bananas, mango, corn, cassava and pasture.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...azua-reciben-titulos-definitivos-de-propiedad
Base interest rate increased to 5.5%
The Central Bank announced it has increased the base interest rate from 5.25% to 5.5%. The decision was adopted in a monetary policy meeting for July 2018. Now the overnight rate for deposits increases to 4% per year, up from 3.75% and the repos rate is at 7% from 6.75%.
The Central Bank points out that accumulated inflation for the first six months of the year was 1.43%, while on an annual base it is 4.63%, that is still within the range contemplated for the period of 4% plus or minus 1%.
https://bancentral.gov.do/a/d/4029-bcrd-incrementa-su-tasa-de-politica-monetaria-a-550--anual
Congress eliminates RD$100,000 starter capital requirement for companies
Acting on a motion presented by the commission promoted by the National Competitiveness Council and the Presidency, deputies and senators have amended Law 469-08 on company formation. The law now establishes that the shareholders will set the initial capital. In the past, the capital had to be RD$100,000, which became an obstacle for the formalization of businesses.
The president of the industry and commerce commission of the Chamber of Deputies, Ulises Rodriguez said the initiative is part of a series of amendments to improve the business climate.
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/diputados-modifican-la-ley-469-08-AH10420819
Government invests in factories for manufacturing military clothing
The Ministry of Defense has announced that as of 2 August 2018, the Ministry of Defense has its own factory to manufacture uniforms for soldiers, police and members of the specialized corps. Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Rubén Paulino Sem, explained that the first factory would be in the municipality of Bonao. President Danilo Medina is expected to be present for the opening. A second factory would open shortly in San Cristóbal.
Lieutenant General Paulino said that these businesses will have a major impact on the area where they are located. He said the military will realize a savings of 50% compared to current procurement practices. He said at present, the military expends RD$4,900 for a full uniform for an officer.
The factories would be located in free zones employing young operators. In the first stage there would be 200 operators in Bonao and 80 in San Cristobal. In addition to the uniforms, the factories would manufacture the insignias, the embroidering and other parts of the soldier uniforms.
According to Paulino Sem, in the future they would also make boots and shoes for the military as well as underwear. He explained that to date this is a pilot project and that the President was interested in installing more factories in the border region, such as Pedernales where the free zone was practically closed and also in Neiba.
The new factories mean less work for local businesses that previously were contracted by the government.
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep.../ministerio-de-defensa-abrira-fabrica-militar
Environmentalists say farming has increased in protected area
Grupo Jaragua denounced that after former Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito had announced the salvaging of the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park from farming operations, these are back now that there is a change at the helm of the Ministry. Reports are that roads have been opened to give access to farming in Los Arroyos in Pedernales province, as published by Diario Libre. In a press release, the group says that a person “with connections in the government” is planting 1,700 tareas of onions inside the park area.
“After we made two calls to deputy ministers at the Ministry of Environment, it became clear on whose side the political power stood in this conflict,” states the Grupo Jaragua in the press release. Apparently, the works to facilitate farming have been authorized by the government.
Fausto Gomera, president of the Socidad Ecologica de Pedernales, said it is painful that this happens only days after the visit of President Danilo Medina to Pedernales where he repeated several times that he would only back farmers that operated outside of the protected area.
https://www.diariolibre.com/medioam...colas-en-parque-sierra-de-bahoruco-GE10418806
New United States’ Ambassador meets Dominican ambassador
The named US ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Robin S. Bernstein, met with the Dominican ambassador in Washington, D.C., José Tomás Pérez. During the visit, she expressed her gratitude to the Dominican people for opening doors to the Jews fleeing from the holocaust in Europe during World War II.
Bernstein, who is Jewish, said that it was an honor for her to be the second women ambassador to the country. She said that she was interested in supporting education, the empowerment of women and the mitigation of disasters.
She also said that she would work hard to continue to increase trade between the two countries and focus on humanitarian, cultural and educational exchanges to reaffirm the values of democracy, liberty and human rights.
http://eldia.com.do/embajadora-de-ee-uu-expresa-gratitud-hacia-republica-dominicana/
Dominican firefighters trained in Lawrence, Massachusetts
The Lawrence Fire Department in Massachusetts provided training in Lawrence to firefighters from the Dominican Republic from 13 to 20 July 2018. The Dominican firefighters learned how to conduct emergency rescue operations involving road accidents as well as fires in buildings. This is the second summer Dominican firefighters have come to Lawrence for such training. The firefighters were from Neyba and large numbers of immigrants in Lawrence are from the DR. The firefighters were hosted by Lawrence families.
https://www.boston25news.com/news/m...ponders-from-the-dominican-republic/796371704
Barges now collecting garbage on Ozama River
Two boats, a harvester and marine waste compactor, entered into the Ozama and Isabela Rivers yesterday, Tuesday 24 July 2018 to collect solid waste that is contaminating the rivers and the coast of Greater Santo Domingo. The vessels have the capacity to collect aquatic plants, plastic and other solid waste.
The two special boats have been acquired by the Tropigas Foundation as part of the Ribera Verde Project at a cost of RD$10 million and can travel for 20 kilometers a day from La Cienega to Los Tres Brazos. They will be operated by members of the Dominican Navy and collaborators from the foundation. They had been imported prior to avoid a disaster such as the 10 July overflow of plastic and were about to be put into use when the rain remnants of Tropical Storm brought intense rains causing tons of garbage attributed to 14 barrios along the river to flow down to the shoreline.
Carlos José Martí, president of the Tropigás Foundation, explained that having collected the garbage they will deposit it in strategic locations, and it would later be removed by brigades designated by the local authorities.
Marti explained the company is working on the urban renewal of La Cienaga barrio, where 50% of the homes had been painted and each home had three garbage cans so that waste can be disposed of in an efficient way, rather than the residents throwing waste into the river.
The Ribera Verde project encompasses the management of wastes, sanitation and rescue of gullies; environmental education; reforestation; preventive health; and community participation as a corporate social responsibility contribution to national environmental problems. The two barges will be complemented with the installation of a hydrobiological system at the mouth of the ravines that carry greater waste to the channels of both tributaries. And the project includes mapping the rivers for the collecting of waste from 27 sectors in the National District, Santo Domingo Norte and Santo Domingo Este that border the river.
https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...a-de-basura-en-el-ozama-con-barcos-especiales
http://eldia.com.do/dos-barcos-de-tropigas-recogeran-basura-de-rios/
ProCompetencia focuses on new price increases
The National Commission for the Defense of Competition (ProCompetencia) has warned about the increase in the prices of chicken, citrus fruits, powdered milk, transport charges, metal bars, eggs, rice and bottled natural and mineral water. The details are contained in the Observatory of the Conditions of Competition in the Markets for the first quarter 2018.
The Commission highlighted that the prices of these items increased from January to March this year, some due to the cost of the higher cost of the raw material and higher production costs, in addition the increase in the cost of fuel.
The main increases were to avocados (12.63%); sour limes (20.32%); sour oranges (8.37%); cassava (6.09%); yautia (1.84%); tobacco (2.19%); cigarettes (2.54%); tourist packages (6.19%) and language classes (1.35%).
ProCompetencia highlights that according to the Central Bank, inflation during the same period was 0.55% which was heavily influenced by an increase in the products in the Non Alcoholic Drink and Food category.
http://hoy.com.do/advierte-sobre-alza-en-precios-de-varios-productos-de-la-canasta-basica/
Why does the skylift keep going out of service when it rains?
Executive director of the Unit for the Re-Adaptation of Barquita and Surroundings (URBE), José Miguel González Cuadra, said the operations of the new Santo Domingo Cable Car (Teleferico) should not shut down during rainstorms. He said that in the next few days the office for the Reorganization of Transport (Opret) would offer more information about the recent stops in the service of this new system of passenger transport.
Before its inauguration, Engineer Jahel Isa, one of the executives on the works said that the Teleferico was designed to continue operating in winds up to 70 kilometers an hour. If the weather is a cause of concern, the skylift cabs will be kept in a special garage. In case of a power outage, the system can continue operating with its own power plant.
Last Thursday, 21 July 2018, Opret also promised to explain why the service had been suspended several times since the inauguration.
http://hoy.com.do/urbe-estima-lluvia-no-debe-detener-teleferico-de-sd/
Major cocaine haul in the east, lead suspect is well known
The National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) with the support of other organizations confiscated 368 packages, of what presumably is cocaine off the southeastern coast in the province of La Romana. The raid occurred when a speedboat was intercepted trying to unload the drugs, near Palmilla beach, near Bayahibe.
DNCD spokesman, Carlos Devers, said that the captain of the boat was arrested and authorities are now looking for other members of the gang who were waiting on shore for the boat captain. The other suspects escaped on foot as the operation unfolded.
The DNCD reported the main suspect, 57-year old Jose Medina Acosta, captain of the boat, is a repeat offender with four previous accusations for drug trafficking since 2008.
http://www.dncd.gob.do/index.php/no...paquetes-presumiblemente-cocaina-en-la-romana
http://eldia.com.do/dncd-ocupa-368-paquetes-de-cocaina-en-la-romana/
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/apresado-con-coca-en-la-romana-es-reincidente-DH10421376
Dead fish in Puerto Plata
Technicians from the Dominican Council for Fishing and Aquiculture (CODOPESCA) have travelled to Puerto Plata to investigate the causes for the deaths of dozens of fish and other species in a lake in the Playa Dorada hotel and condominium complex.
Head of the CODOPESCA office in Puerto Plata, Román Tolentino Acosta, said that they will take water samples and several dead fish from the lagoon to carry out toxicology protocol to determine the causes of the fish die-off.
Tolentino Acosta said that they were going to the lagoon on instructions from the executive director of CODOPESCA, Milton Ginebra Morales, following several complaints from people about the dead fish. He said as soon as the results were known and if it is discovered that the fish were poisoned, the culprits behind this crime would be sanctioned.
There is speculation that a chemical substance could have been put into the lagoon, as supposedly investors want to get rid of the lagoon to erect buildings on the site. But Manuel Finke, of the Playa Dorada Hotel & Condominiums Association speculated that the fish could have died as a result of the overflow of salt water from the ocean entering the lagoons due to the rising water levels due to the intense rains on Tuesday, 10 July 2018. The fish in the lagoons cannot handle salt water.
http://eldia.com.do/autoridades-investigan-muerte-de-decenas-de-peces-en-laguna-de-playa-dorada/
Banco del Progreso up for sale
The owners of 95% of the shares of the Banco del Progreso have put these up for sale. In the past, there were rumors Scotia Bank would purchase the bank. The sale is for US$328 million. Total assets are RD$57.5 million, around US$115 million. Delinquent payment rate for the bank is at 2.15%. The announcement is signed by the president of the board of the bank, Juan Bautista Vicini Lluberes.
http://eldia.com.do/inversionistas-mayoritarios-del-banco-del-progreso-venden-sus-acciones/
Corruption, or a sweet deal gone sour for Robinson Cano
He had been suspended for 80 days for using steroids, and now it is known that in February 2018 the baseball player benefited from a land purchase of 11,000 tareas (1 tarea = 629 sq. meters) from the State Sugar Council (CEA). A report in Acento says that baseball player purchased 10,937 tareas (6,977,744.58 square meters) at a “provisional price of RD$7.80 and RD$8 the meter and RD$5,500 the tarea in some other cases for RD$55,034,984 million. But Resolution 004-2016 had ruled that a minimum of US$10.50 per square meter needed to be paid. Acento says the government was losing RD$3 billion on the sale. The sale also means the community, Batey Aleman, would need to be evicted.
The story in Acento says that the property is not in his name, but in the name of relatives, including Joselito Canó Soriano, Esmeralda Sosa, Claudia Canó Soriano, Reyna Soriano and Gery Enrique Camarena Morla. In the name of Joselino Canó Soriano there are 5,063 tareas valued at RD$25,529,150. Law 141-97 orders that any transaction that is more than 200 minimum wages requires congressional approval. In order to expedite the sale, it was separated into multiple transactions to keep below the minimum.
In February 2018, the director of the CEA, Pedro Mota Pacheco said that the sale could not continue because the property had been leased to Porvenir Sugar Mill and there is a legal process going on. The sale also violates an order from the government that impeded the sale of property without the express authorization by the Executive Branch.
The CEA is under the limelight after investigative journalist Alicia Ortega presented a report on major wasteful spending at the entity.
https://acento.com.do/2018/actualid...-perdida-al-estado-de-mas-de-rd3000-millones/
http://hoy.com.do/el-gobierno-gasta-3-1-mm-al-mes-en-ingenios-inoperantes/
Gold at the Central American & Caribbean Sports Games
Weightlifter Verónica Saladín and gymnast Audrys Nin Reyes won gold on Tuesday, 24 July 2018 in the Central American & Caribbean Sports Games that are taking place in Barranquilla, Colombia. Santana lifted for gold in the 90 kg category. Nin Reyes won the vault competition. These were the ninth and tenth gold medal won by the Dominican team, that is in fifth place overall in the championship with 41 medals, including 10 gold, 10 silver and 21 bronze.
http://eldia.com.do/veronica-saladin-gana-oro-en-levantamiento-de-pesas-en-juegos-centroamericanos/
