DR1 Daily News - Wednesday, 24 October 2018

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Medina to travel next week to China
Baní mango producers to install most modern processing plant
Economy is on track
Export free zones enjoy vigorous growth
Mirex trying to help fishermen
Red tape and lack of budget at DIDA keep millions from reaching heirs
DR pays its legislators very well
Presidential aspirants increase
Milex milk president: Moms should stay home
Puerto Plata gets its private cemetery
High rate of illegal alcohol in the country
Public Health investigates death by C-section
Medical student shot and killed by police in Santiago
Protests against fuel prices continue
Italian crime kingpin deported
Major cocaine haul in San Pedro de Macorís
Gigantes lead the 2018-2019 Professional Baseball Championship
DR places 54th of 208 nations in 2018 Youth Olympics
International Comedy Festival at Escenario 360



Medina to travel next week to China
President Danilo Medina will travel on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week to China, reports El Dia. Earlier, El Nacional, of the same Corripio media group, had announced Medina would travel to China on Saturday, 27 October 2018. Medina has scheduled the trip for meeting with President Xi Jinping and for the signing of around 15 bilateral agreements in Beijing. A large number of cabinet ministers are expected to travel to China with the President.

This would be the first visit of a Dominican statesman to China. Also on his agenda, reportedly, is a meeting with Shanghai business people.

The DR and the People’s Republic of China signed for full diplomatic relations on 1 May 2018. The Medina administration has centralized government relations with China with the opening of a specialized office at the Presidential Palace under Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ramón Peralta.

The Presidency has yet to issue a formal statement with the details on the trip. Previously, it was said the President would travel in November to China.

http://eldia.com.do/presidente-danilo-medina-viajara-a-china-la-proxima-semana/


Baní mango producers to install most modern processing plant
The Ministry of Agriculture and the Special Fund for Agropecuarian Development (FEDA) are contributing RD$130 million to the Asociación Banileja de Productores de Mango (Abapromango) for the construction and equipping of a modern hydrothermal mango processing plant. The producers had requested the installation that they say could double the volume of mango exports to the United States market in 2019. The agreement was signed by Agriculture Minister Osmar Benítez and the president of Abapromango, Onésimo Mejía.

A first payment of RD$15.7 million is for the purchase of the equipment. FEDA will be providing financing for RD$57 million, and another RD$10.3 million will come from the ProRural program of the Presidency for increasing fruit productivity. The government will also be providing 32 tareas of land (1 tarea = 629 sq meters).

The installation is described as the most modern facility of its kind in the Caribbean. The processing facility will comply with sanitary regulations for export of the product to the United States. Benítez said the proposal for the construction of the plant was already approved by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Casimiro Ramos, director of FEDA, said the plant will especially benefit small mango producers.

https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...truccion-y-equipamiento-planta-de-tratamiento


Economy is on track
The governor of the Central Bank (BCRD), Héctor Valdez Albizu, has said that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 6.9% in the period January to September 2018. This is the highest in the Latin American and Caribbean region. He said the Dominican economy has grown in accordance with expectations. International Accumulated inflation in September 2018 was 1.52%. International reserves as of September 2018 were US$7.33 billion. Exports of goods and services were US$8.27 billion, from January to September 2018, up US$795 million.

Valdez Albizu also said that during the first nine months of 2018 private credit showed an increase of RD$70.36 billion representing a growth of 7.2%. He said that despite the adverse scenario in Latin America, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest report increased the growth projection for the country to 6.4% at the end of 2018, which would make it the highest in the region.

https://www.bancentral.gov.do/a/d/4...minicana-crecio-69-en-eneroseptiembre-de-2018


Export free zones enjoy vigorous growth
Dominican free zone manufacturing exports are up more than US$430 million so far this year, says Federico Domínguez Aristy, president of the Dominican Association of Free Zones (Adozona). Manuel Enrique Tavares, one of the founders of the free zone industrial parks in the country, was the keynote speaker during the luncheon held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Adozona. President Danilo Medina was guest of honor and recognized at the event for his support.

During his talk, he highlighted that Dominican free zones have injected RD$150 billion into the economy. Tavares says if conditions are right, the sector could reach 425,000 jobs in less than 10 years. At present, free zones employ 160,000.

Central Bank statistics indicate that free zone exports from January to September 2018 are up 11.2%, reaching US$4.69 billion.

http://eldia.com.do/exportaciones-de-zonas-francas-aumentaron-10-9/


Mirex trying to help fishermen
The Ministry of Foreign Relations (Mirex) is analyzing the legal appeal against the sanctions imposed on 124 Dominican fishermen and three captains arrested in Cuba and handed over to the Bahamian authorities. The fishermen were sentenced to six months in jail and fined US$52,000 each, while the captains of the boats were sentenced to one year in jail and fine US$92,000 each.

A press release from the Ministry of Foreign Relations says that a legal team is studying the case and will be making recommendations for a defense. In addition that a commission headed up by the Vice Minister of Foreign Relations for Consular and Migratory Matters, Marjorie Espinosa, would go to the Bahamas to follow up on those detained to ensure they had appropriate prison conditions as they have already receiving medical assistance organized by the local Dominican diplomatic corps.

Mirex said that in order to prevent illegal fishing and the involuntary entry into foreign waters they have agreed with the Executive Board of the Dominican Fishing Council (CODOPESCA) and the Association of Fishing Boat Owners of Puerto Plata on a Special Collaboration Agreement to install a Satellite Monitoring System in fishing vessels, which would enable the Dominican Armada to track them and warn them if they were approaching foreign waters.

http://www.mirex.gob.do/medios/noti...s-a-favor-de-pescadores-condenados-en-bahamas


Red tape and lack of budget at DIDA keep millions from reaching heirs
The director of the Affiliates Information and Defense Agency (DIDA), Nelsida Marmolejos told El Dia newspaper reporters that red tape, lack of budget of her office to carry out a campaign to reach out to the possible beneficiaries, and lack of general knowledge of the procedures to follow by pension plan holders and their families are among the reasons for the large number of pensions that have gone unclaimed.

As reported in Diario Libre, pension funds have RD$780 million belonging to pension plan heirs that could soon expire uncollected. The Administrators of Pension Funds (AFP) have accumulated the amounts in the Capitalization Accounts (or retirement accounts) that belong to 39,386 persons who have passed away and this money is not been claimed by any of the heirs. The actual pension funds savings pending to be paid to heirs are more than RD$780 million because that amount reflects only accumulated through 2014, says Ramon Cabrera, who presides the Hacienda Commission of the Chamber of Deputies.

Data from the Superintendence of Pensions says that as of June 2018, of a total of 30,133 pensions that have been claimed, the AFPs have granted only 14,469 and rejected another 14,418. Another 1,246 requests are in the pipeline.

http://eldia.com.do/listado-de-afil...-han-solicitado-la-pension-por-sobrevivencia/
https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...familiares-de-afiliados-fallecidos-CF11057162
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...antea-fondos-se-devuelvan-a-traves-de-la-dida


DR pays its legislators very well
The government allots to the Legislative Branch more funds than to three ministries together, as reported by Hoy newspaper. Data shows that the national legislature is one of the best paid in the region. The National Budget allotted the legislators RD$500 million in wages for 2019, or more than the funds of the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Sports together. The main beneficiaries are the 190 deputies and 32 senators who make up the legislative bodies. The president of the Senate is paid RD$430,000 in wages, and much more in perks. The other senators have base wages of RD$360,000 a month. Other benefits are their generous social security plan, pension plan, medical insurance, per diem, luxury vehicle tax exemptions, among others.

52% of the funds allotted to the legislator, or RD$1.24 billion will go for wages for the 222 legislators.

Meanwhile, youth unemployment in the Dominican Republic is 30%. Minimum wages in the Dominican Republic range from RD$14,546 to RD$8,862, according to the Ministry of Labor.

http://hoy.com.do/video-rd-entre-los-paises-con-diputados-y-senadores-mejores-pagados/


Presidential aspirants increase
The numbers are increasing almost daily, but so far there are 26 men and two women from 14 political organizations who have come forward as presidential pre-candidates and, if successful, as presidential candidates in the 2020 elections.

The largest number of candidates seeking the nomination of their party is the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) ticket for the May 2020 elections. The PLD pre-candidates include former President Leonel Fernández, former Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito, former Interior & Police Minister Carlos Amarante Baret, the president of the Senate Reinaldo Pared Pérez, former Economy Minister Temístocles Montás, Education Minister Andrés Navarro, former Labor Minister Maritza Hernández, Hipólito Polanco and Manuel Crespo.

For the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), the pre-candidates are: former President Hipólito Mejía, former PRM presidential candidate Luis Abinader, Wellington Arnaud and Ramón Emilio Concepción.

The pre-candidates for the Social Christian Reform Party (PRSC) are its current president Federico Antún Batlle, deputy Víctor Ito Bisonó and Ricardo Espaillat.

For the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) the pre-candidates are: Tony Peña Guaba, and although he has not yet made an official statement, Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado, who is expected to stand as well.

The Frente Amplio (FA) has transport kingpin Juan Hubieres running for the position, but other candidates are expected to stand as well.

Luis Miguel De Camps is the pre-candidate for the Social Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRSD) and Ramfis Domínguez Trujillo, for the Democratic Institutional Party (PDI).

Although they have not yet officially declared their aspirations, Minou Tavárez Mirabal, of Democratic Option (OD) and Guillermo Moreno, for Alianza País are expected to throw their hats into the ring. Karim Abud Naba is also on the list of presidential pre-candidates but it is not known which party he will represent.

There are also pre-candidates whose parties are still being formed: Milton Morrison, Possible Country; Alfonso Rodríguez for Democratic Revolution; Porfirio López Nieto, Dominican Nationalist (PND) and Carlos Peña, for the Generación de Servidores political party.

By 22 August 2019, the complete list of pre-candidates has to be handed in to the Central Electoral Board (JCE).

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...-a-ser-candidatos-a-la-presidencia-OH11077797


Milex milk president: Moms should stay home
The statement by Raul Rizik, president of Mejía Arcalá, the company that imports the best-selling Milex powdered milk, may cost the company sales to tell by the reactions on social media. In a recent talk on occasion of the National Retailers’ Day, Rizik called for strengthening the family to in turn strengthen Dominican society. In his talk, “Family Values in the Development of Commerce,” he stressed the family is the fundamental unit of society and has been weakened since women began working outside the home.

"That was stated by the United Nations in 1948, but in 1995, it was promoted that women leave the homes to work in businesses or in government, which was a tremendous mistake, since this has been displacing motherhood, without thinking about the consequences that this radical change would bring to homes and how it would disrupt the course of society, when its citizens would lack the essential formation of the nuclear family," he said.

The criticism to working women was not met well in social media, with many Dominican women blasting the lead executive of the powdered milk company.

An editorial in Diario Libre by managing editor Ines Aizpun argues that women work for the same reasons as men do – they need the money, they like their work… “To say out loud, in public, that women should stay at home is almost a punk manifesto,” she observed.

http://hoy.com.do/dice-fue-error-sacar-mujeres-de-hogar-y-entraran-a-negocios/
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/am/por-que-trabajan-las-mujeres-fuera-de-casa-II11083685


Puerto Plata gets its private cemetery
Grupo Nubes de Gloria has opened the first private cemetery in the outskirts of Puerto Plata, following a market trend that has been successful in the capital city of Santo Domingo. The company says it has invested RD$300 million to open the first phase of the private cemeteries that will operate in Muñoz, near Montellano, Puerto Plata.

Hernán González, spokesman for the company, said the company would begin offering services in November 2018, marking a before and an after for funeral services in Puerto Plata and Monseñor Nouel provinces. He said the cemeteries will be ecological garden parks. He said investment plans will be offered to families for advance purchase. The Puerto Plata cemetery will be known as Parque Jardín Nubes de Gloria.

The company also envisions opening a private cemetery in Bonao, Monseñor Nouel province.

http://hoy.com.do/empresa-inaugura-primera-etapa-de-moderno-cementerio-en-montellano/


High rate of illegal alcohol in the country
According to the strategic market research company, Euromonitor International, Latin America consumes 15% of illegally-produced alcoholic beverages, with Mexico at the top of the list for volume consumed and the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Bolivia the leaders in per capita consumption.

According to Euromonitor consulting manager Lourdes Chavarría, many people will suffer from blindness and hundreds others will die when drinking alcohol that has been tampered with.

The Euromonitor illegal alcohol market study was carried out in 14 Latin American countries as well as eight African countries and two in Eastern Europe where consumption of illicit alcohol exists without health controls in 24 countries. It looked into counterfeit, contraband, illegal artisanal, tax leakage and surrogate forms of illegal alcohol in the region.

The global consumption of legal alcohol in 2017 was 222.8 million hectoliters and in the countries studied it was 42.3 million hectoliters, of which 10.9 million were illegal.

Within the Latin American countries studied, 42.5% of the drinks were illegal in Mexico, followed by Colombia with 16% and Peru with 12.6%. At the other end of the scale was Chile with 1.2%.

However the impact of the problem is greater in smaller countries such as the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Bolivia where the per capita consumption is above the regional average.

The study has shown that key drivers of the illegal market include uncontrolled residual ethanol volumes, price gaps and weak law enforcement. The researchers pinpoint that government regulations concerning legal alcohol sales and consumption also have indirectly created more opportunities for the market.

The research stresses that it is in everyone’s interest to bring unregulated alcohol into the legal, regulated sphere. Main reasons highlighted are because of human, societal and economic costs to each country. The poor are the most inclined to consume the cheaper alcohol and to suffer from health effects.

https://listindiario.com/economia/2...as-se-consume-bebidas-alcoholicas-adulteradas
http://www.iard.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Alcohol-in-the-Shadow-Economy.pdf


Public Health investigates death by C-section
The Ministry of Health has announced that it is waiting for the autopsy results being carried out on a woman who died in a private clinic in Laguna Salada, Mao in the province of Valverde, following a cesarean section. Preliminary reports is that the obstetrician left before the procedure was finished, delegating it to a resident.

Health Minister Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas said that preliminary reports state that Ramona Rodríguez died when undergoing a C-section. He said once the investigation is complete the appropriate action would be taken.

https://elnuevodiario.com.do/minist...necropsia-de-mujer-muerta-en-clinica-privada/


Medical student shot and killed by police in Santiago
A Haitian medical student has died in the Pekin sector of Santiago after he was hit by a bullet shot by police during an incident with motorcycle taxi drivers. The unnamed woman, who attended Santiago Technological University (UTESA), was watching a demonstration by the motorcyclists from her second floor home, when she was hit by the stray bullet in the throat.
The motorcyclists were protesting about the price of fuel and calling for better security.

The police said that they were carrying out an investigation and warned that drastic action would be taken against those who affected public order and that supposedly they had received information that there were anti social persons who had infiltrated the demonstration.

https://listindiario.com/la-republi...a-cuando-observaba-protesta-de-motoconchistas


Protests against fuel prices continue
On Tuesday, 23 October 2018, dozens of women protested at the intersection of 27 February and Isabel Aguiar (Pintura) avenues demanding that the government reduce the prices of fuel. They were watched over by a contingent of police and military as they set up camp on an island in the center of Isabel Aguiar.

Yina Buly and Franquina Mejía, speaking on behalf of the group said that housewives were suffering from the high and rising cost of propane and fuel with its effects on the price of food produce and food production.

Other demonstrators said that they were affiliated to the National Transport Federation the New Option (Fenatrano), the transport guild, and that they were backing the protest as those who covered the 27 February route were being abused by the government when the later ordered free Omsa bus services when a work stoppage by Fenatrano buses had been announced for last Wednesday.

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...aguiar-por-precios-de-combustibles-FI11082272


Italian crime kingpin deported
An Italian who is said to be the head of a criminal network that operates in the north of the country has been arrested in Montecristi by the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) and was deported to Italy on Sunday, 21 October 2018. Alleged drug dealer 75-year old Marcello Battigaglia is accused of heading up a gang that had contact with criminal networks in Calabria, Italy and in Latin America.

He had been sought by authorities for the last three years following a ruling by a court in Milan in 2017, which sentenced him to 16 years, 10 months and 23 days in jail plus a fine of Euro98,000 for international drug dealing and evading authorities.

A liaison between the Italian and Dominican authorities led to his capture in a pizza restaurant on kilometer 17 of the Duarte Highway in Montecristi. He had previously been arrested Zagabria (Croacia) for importing cocaine from Caracas, Venezuela, as reported by the DNCD.

http://dncd.gob.do/index.php/notici...cia-italiana-y-migracion-lo-deporta-a-su-pais


Major cocaine haul in San Pedro de Macorís
The National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) announced that they and members of the Public Prosecution Service confiscated yesterday, Tuesday 23 October 2018, 395 kilos of cocaine from a boat in the estuary of the Higuamo River in San Pedro de Macorís. The white boat is presumed to have come from Venezuela.

Pedro Núñez, the San Pedro de Macorís prosecutor, said that they were carrying out raids to find those responsible who had gotten away. Meanwhile, the drugs were sent to the National Institute of Forensic Science for testing and weighing.

https://www.diariolibre.com/noticia...ro-de-bote-en-san-pedro-de-macoris-FI11082689


Gigantes lead the 2018-2019 Professional Baseball Championship
Two weeks into the regular season for the Professional Baseball Winter Championship, The Gigantes del Cibao are enjoying their good start. As of games played on 23 October 2018, the Gigantes now lead with 7 wins and 2 losses. Other teams are Aguilas Cibaeñas (5-4), Toros del Este (5-4), Leones del Escogido (4-5), Estrellas Orientales (3-5) and Tigres del Licey (2-6), 4.5 games behind the first place. One of the two games the Licey has won so far, was a record-setting long game that lasted 19 innings and eight hours and seven minutes on 17 October 2018 and ended after midnight of the next day, when they defeated the Toros del Este at the Francisco A. Micheli ball park in La Romana.

http://www.lidom.com/home/
https://elnacional.com.do/gigantes-...as-y-encabezan-torneo-beisbol-profesional-rd/
http://www.lidom.com/home/licey-gana-historico-partido-de-19-entradas-a-los-toros/


DR places 54th of 208 nations in 2018 Youth Olympics
The Dominican Republic team to the 2018 Youth Olympics that took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina placed 54th of 208 participating countries. The private foundation that backs elite athletes in the Dominican Republic, Creando Sueños Olímpicos (Creso) is proud of the achievement. The Dominican team won a gold in kitesurfing thanks to Adeuris Corniel and a bronze in judo by Antonio Tornal. Creso announced that starting in January 2019, both athletes will be included in the incentives program by the foundation so they can continue to prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

In a tweet, Manuel Luna, executive director of Creso pointed out the DR is a country of 10 million inhabitants and its athletes turned in a better performance than Canada. The DR also did better than Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Chile, says Creso.

Creso reported an evaluation of the nation’s top athletes concluded that they will be ready for January, led by Corniel and Tornal and others who turned in outstanding performances in the Barranquilla 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games.

The next important sports events for the nation’s top athletes are the Pan Am Games to be held in Lima in July-August 2019 and the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.
Creso fund participants are Central Romana Coporation, Claro, Ferquido, Banco Popular Dominicano, Grupo Rica, Grupo Rizek, Grupo SID, Grupo Universal, Total Dominicana and Inicia.

https://cresord.org/
https://twitter.com/CRESOrd/status/...^profile:CRESOrd&ref_url=https://cresord.org/
https://www.buenosaires2018.com/?lng=en


International Comedy Festival at Escenario 360
Festival del Humor will take place at the Escenario 360 of the Galeria 360 mall on Av. John F. Kennedy. Humorists from five countries will participate in the event set for Friday, 2 November and Saturday 3 November at 8:30pm.
Coming are El Ratón and Chocolate (Colombia), El Che Gaetano (Venezuela), El Mago Karim (Spain) and El Mudo Esperanza (Argentina). Ventriloquist Liondy Osoria will be participating for the Dominican Republic. The host for the event will be Dominican master of ceremonies, Jochy Santos.
 
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