DR1 Daily News - Tuesday, 18 September 2018

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May 3, 2000
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Punta Catalina nearly ready
More time to decide on Mirador del Este bus terminal
Haiti gets a new Prime Minister
Trade figures with Haiti
What's China up to?
Police and military try to prevent problems
Standoff in Santiago
Flooding causes damage and evacuations
Provinces on alert for flooding
Bulgarian drug ring with Dominican connections busted



Punta Catalina nearly ready
The general administrator for Punta Catalina, Jaime Aristy Escuder, said the construction of the 752 MW coal-fired Central Punta Catalina plant is now at 95% complete. Aristy went on to say that the first unit will be ready at the end of 2018 and by August 2019 the plant will be at full capacity, producing electricity at a much lower price compared to current rates.

As reported in Diario Libre, during a press conference, Aristy Escuder noted that to finish the plant the government has created a contingency fund of US$336 million after reaching an agreement with the consortium Odebrecht-Tecnimont-Estrella. This is in addition to the contracted cost of the power plant, estimated at US$1.945 billion. The government said the expenditures are subject to an audit.

The funds provided by the government are in the federal budget and that the agreement establishes that that consortium will have to pay the US$336 should arbitration in a New York court favor the state. The consortium had sued for US$708 million in additional funds.

The announcement was made at a time when the 300MW AES Andres natural gas plant is out of operation, and when it was confirmed that the CDEEE has signed with the Chinese government entity a memorandum of understanding for a major port and 1200 MW natural gas power plant in Manzanillo, Montecristi in the northwest.

https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...fondo-para-terminar-punta-catalina-OJ10808457
https://listindiario.com/economia/2...llegan-a-acuerdo-para-terminar-punta-catalina
http://hoy.com.do/colapso-electrico-se-debe-a-mala-inversion-punta-catalina/


More time to decide on Mirador del Este bus terminal
A Santo Domingo court has extended the timescale to allow the Ministry of Public Works to submit the social and environmental impact studies for the site of the proposed bus station in Mirador East Park following a request by the lawyers for the neighborhood groups in the area.

The court, presided over by Carmen Canaán and includes Franklin Concepción and Claudia Peña, has set the hearing for 1 October 2018 to decide whether the construction should be stopped or allowed to proceed.

Local councilors from the municipality of Santo Domingo East have complained that the construction is illegal as they did not agree with the file and it does not have the necessary approvals as laid down by law.
Meanwhile, a report in Diario Libre looks into the pros for the construction on the site of the parking area of the Mirador del Este Sports Park.

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...on-interurbana-con-seis-corredores-AJ10801504
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...-estudios-de-construccion-parada-de-autobuses


Haiti gets a new Prime Minister
Parliament in Haiti has elected a new Prime Minister, Jean Henry Ceant, a 61-year old lawyer, who presented his first government plan in a 10-hour work session. Ceant had aspired to the presidency in 2011 and 2015. Ceant received 84 votes in favor, 5 against and 4 abstentions. He has pledged to restore the trust in the country and generate conducive conditions for investment and jobs. He said he would foster production, combat corruption and crime, and to investigate the suspected fraud in the PetroCaribe petrol program.


Trade figures with Haiti
The formal trade exchange between Haiti and the Dominican Republic reportedly reached US$888.33 million in 2017. More than 90% of these resources corresponded to products exported to Haiti, while 36.61%, which includes items for fishing, tobacco, as well as equipment accessories, are imported to the Dominican Republic from Haiti, according to Prensa Latina, the Cuban state news agency.

Prensa Latina reports that according to the National Statistics Office of Santo Domingo, formal trade between both nations was up 6.5% compared to 2016, however, it remains below the figures of 2015, when it reached one billion dollars. Haiti is the second most important export market for the Dominican Republic, after the United States.

However, despite these improved statistics, experts point out that the informal trade between both nations is estimated to be 1.2 billion dollars, and that Haitians mainly buy in the Dominican Republic agricultural and agro-industrial goods such as chickens, eggs, rice, beans and vegetables.
Conversely, Dominicans mainly purchase textiles, footwear and alcoholic beverages in Haiti.

As reported, the decline in trade with Haiti is due to Haiti barring the import of some 23 products by land, including wheat, flour, edible oil and cement. These products need to be imported by sea, as the government attempts to earn more in import taxes. According to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission of the Haitian Senate, the Haitian State loses annually 55 billion gourdes (US$848,508,534) on tax evasion, despite the brigades deployed in the border area to counteract the activities of smugglers.

https://www.plenglish.com/index.php...p.-trade-exceeded-888-million-dollars-in-2017


What's China up to?
What does China want and what is convenient for the Dominican Republic? Economist Arturo Martínez Moya writes in an op-ed piece in Hoy that the government should gather business people and academics to local at strategies to harmonize the interests of both countries. He made the observation just before Foreign Minister Wang Yi is to visit the country later this week.

He highlights that for Beijing what goes is the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and the country needs to fully comprehend how it can best fit into this agenda. The Silk Road has China turbo-charging its infrastructure connectivity across the region and the Caribbean.

Martínez says that China is focused on increasing trade and forging deals that accumulate international reserves, a policy that has already allowed them to gain space internationally. He highlights that trade with China has been one sided. We imported US$2.458 billion and only exported US$145 million. He says DR agriculture and manufactured products are not competitive in the Chinese market which impedes exports. The DR cannot compete with Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam.

Our trade agenda with the Chinese Foreign Minister needs to include ways the Chinese can reduce these competitive disadvantages, so the Dominican Republic can take part in the Asian intra-continental trade that represents 53% of total Chinese trade, he writes.

He suggests reviewing ways to attract money and technology, to get the Chinese to invest in local productive activities that add value to our raw materials, encouraging that the Chinese partner with Dominican entrepreneurs to prevent repatriation of all benefits.

Furthermore, Martinez Moya believes that it is important to institute measures that ensure the use Dominican labor and not Chinese workers.

Martinez Moya notes that for “turnkey” projects, the Foreign Minister is likely to receive loan offers from Chinese export and import and development banks to finance and build major projects such as power plants and railroads. He says that while these projects and investments may be sound business for the Chinese, it can become a headache for the country and the loans will inevitably involve agreements between governments, the creation of public debt and various "political commitments".

Martinez Moya explained that his remarks could be interpreted as his taking the Trump side in the US-China tariff war between the two countries that control 40% of the world GDP, but it’s best for country to limit the relationship with the Asian giant to business deals between entrepreneurs and direct investment. “Putting it bluntly, it is in our best interest to exercise an economic diplomacy that does not generate annoying distractions to our historical and neighboring trade partner to the north, assuring that the government, businessmen and academics carry out the cost-benefit analysis from time to time,” he recommends.

He reminds the government that the country still has comparatively good conditions with the IDB and the World Bank to finance infrastructure projects.

The Medina Presidency has opened an office at the Presidential Palace to concentrate negotiations of the country with the Chinese government.

http://hoy.com.do/que-busca-china/
https://www.chinadialogue.net/artic...-China-s-Belt-and-Road-lands-in-Latin-America
http://www.atimes.com/article/chinas-new-silk-roads-reach-latin-america/


Police and military try to prevent problems
An unusual police and military presence has been seen in strategic points in Santo Domingo since the early hours of Monday, 17 September 2018. According to Diario Libre source, military personnel were stationed as a preventive measure given the readiness of transport organizations that have threatened to cause chaos in the city in to pressure the authorities to increase fares.

Members of the military, including the Air Force, Armada and Army toted shotguns in the streets. There were members of special units such as Swat and the General Office of Traffic and Ground Transport (DIGESETT) and others patrolling. Last week, taxi drivers in Greater Santo Domingo and Santiago protested against the increase in fuel prices.

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...n-puntos-estrategicos-de-la-ciudad-NJ10807318


Standoff in Santiago
On Monday, 17 September 2018, a standoff between drivers and the security forces in Santiago, took place during a strike to complain about the increase in the price of fuel. Agents from the National Police shot at the drivers who belonged to two unions, The National Federation of Transport the New Option (Fenatrano) and the National Center of Transport Organizations (Conatra). During the confrontation the police broke several windows and threw tear gas bombs at the protesters who were holding up the traffic on Las Carreras with Sabana Larga Avenues. Despite being shot at, the drivers continued to defy the police authorities.

https://listindiario.com/la-republi...policias-y-choferes-por-protestas-en-santiago


Flooding causes damage and evacuations
Due to the rains associated with the remnants of Isaac, some 228 homes have been affected and six have been destroyed. Some 216 people have had to leave their homes, two communities have been cut off and nine aqueducts have been affected.

According to the Center for Emergency Operations, the flooding affected Greater Santo Domingo and in the Puerta Linda de Sabana Perdida sector, Santo Domingo North, two houses were affected and there was a landslide in the 10 tareas of the Guaricamos sector that caused a wall to collapse, affected five homes, two dwellings were destroyed and 19 people were evacuated.

In the same area, 33 homes were flooded due to lack of drainage causing 164 people had to be evactuated,

In the Los Platanitos sector, five homes were flooded and 21 people evacuated.

La Victoria community is cut off by the rising rivers Tosa and Cabon and La Blanca due to the rising of the Ozama river.

In San Pedro de Macorís around 40 homes were flooded in the sector El Callejón de Ortiz and in the Los Crocodrilos sector 10 homes were flooded and 25 in the Silencio neighborhood.

In Sánchez Ramírez province, due to the increase in the Cevico River the communities of Palmar del Rio, Sabana del Rio, Sonador, Cevico were cut off but later returned to normal.

https://listindiario.com/la-republi...as-dos-comunidades-aislados-y-216-desplazados


Provinces on alert for flooding
The Center for Emergency Operations (COE) has placed 17 provinces on alert as well as the National District, for possible mud slides, flooding and overflowing of rivers and streams. Nine provinces are on yellow alert and eight on green.
On yellow alert are the National District, Santo Domingo, El Seibo, Hato Mayor, San Pedro de Macorís, Monte Plata, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, Peravia and Barahona.

On green alert are La Altagracia, La Romana, Bahoruco, Independencia, Pedernales, Azua, Monseñor Nouel and La Vega.

The alert is due to the rains that have fallen as a result of Tropical Storm Isaac, especially in Greater Santo Domingo, Peravia, San Cristobal and Monte Plata. Ten communities are still cut off in Monte Plata province.
The restrictions on small boats have been lifted on the Atlantic Coast and they can now operate normally.

http://hoy.com.do/distrito-nacional-y-17-provincias-en-alerta/


Bulgarian drug ring with Dominican connections busted
According to the head of the Bulgarian Special Prosecutor’s Office, Daniela Nacheva, four people have been detained in Sofia, Bulgaria in connection with a criminal group for distribution of drugs from the Dominican Republic. As reported, the group recruited low-income people to travel through European countries to the Dominican Republic and then back to the area of Stara Zagora. During their weeklong stay there, the mules swallowed an average of 80 to 100 cocaine-containing capsules of between 8 and 13 grams. The cocaine was distributed in Gabrovo, Burgas, Varna, Plovdiv, Sofia and other cities in the country, as reported in Euscoop.

While waiting for the expulsion of the drugs, they were accommodated, with mobile phones taken away and limited contact with the outside world. The distribution network became known when one of the people was caught on 15 September 2018 in Portugal when falling ill. After a medical checkup, 99 capsules were found inside his stomach - nearly a kilo of cocaine.

Nacheva explained that four people, including a woman, were charged with involvement in a criminal group and detained for 72 hours. The prosecutors will request detention in custody.

https://www.novinite.com/articles/1...Distribution+of+Drugs+from+Dominican+Republic
https://www.euscoop.com/en/2018/9/17/bulgarian-criminal-group-people-ingest-cocaine
https://listindiario.com/las-mundia...o-que-llevaba-cocaina-de-republica-dominicana
http://eldia.com.do/desarticulan-banda-usaba-mulas-para-transportar-droga-desde-rd-hacia-bulgaria/


Illegal Dominican migrants repatriated
The US Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos repatriated 22 migrants to the Dominican Republic. The illegal migrants were interdicted after two separate cases by routine patrol of in the Mona Passage between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico of the US Coast Guard.

The US Coast Guard could well have saved the lives of the illegal travelers that were at sea when the stormy weathers of Tropical Storm Isaac were on their way. According to Lt. Luke Walsh, cutter Winslow Griesser commanding officer, “both of these vessels were overloaded and underpowered, posing an enormous risk of potentially capsizing and endangering the lives of all persons aboard”. A maritime patrol aircraft had earlier detected what was described as a “grossly overloaded 25-foot migrant boat,” approximately 35 nautical miles northeast of Punta Cana. It was traveling toward Puerto Rico without navigational lights. On board were 17 men and a woman of Dominican nationality.

The same crew would detect another 12-foot migrant vessel in Mona Passage international waters on the way to Puerto Rico, again traveling without navigational lights, approximately 30 nautical miles northeast of Cabo Engaño. Four Dominicans were on board.

As reported, the cutter Joseph Tezanos was to transfer the migrants to the crew of a Dominican Republic Navy patrol boat for the individuals to be repatriated to the Dominican Republic.

https://www.military.com/daily-news...patriates-22-migrants-dominican-republic.html
 
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