Easier to open a business; capital restriction eliminated
New Supreme Court of Justice president to be announced Thursday
Ministry of Public Works begins repairing sinkhole on Duarte Highway
Santo Domingo Skylift is back in service
Pension management companies invest a chunk in government debt
Finally, Altice resets mobile service; promises compensation to clients
Labor withdraws from salary talks
Followers campaign heavily, yet President Danilo Medina is mute on reelection
PRD desists from open primaries
Citizen Participation rejects”coat-tailing” of deputies and senators
Democracy sinks to bottom in Latin America and the Caribbean
The judges for Dominicana’s Got Talent announced
Asilis reaches a deal with DGII
Police admits to abuses to sex workers
Rains in the Cibao give hope to farmers and cattlemen
Four Dominican prospects for Rookie-of-the-Year 2019
102 Dominicans on MLB rosters on opening day
Barahona Tourism Fair seeks to put the South in the spotlight
Easier to open a business; capital restriction eliminated
President Danilo Medina signed Law 68-19 that amends Art. 91 of the Businesses Law (General de Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada) on Friday, 29 March 2019. The amendment eliminates the RD$100,000 minimum capital to open a limited responsibility company and leaves the amount of the capital investment up to the shareholders. For some time now, though, the RD$100,000 requirement was not being enforced by local authorities in charge of company formation.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...19-que-modifica-articulo-91-de-ley-general-de
https://www.scribd.com/document/403643333/Ley-68-19
New Supreme Court of Justice president to be announced Thursday
During the Friday, 29 March 2019 session of the National Council of the Magistracy, the selection committee announced the completing of the assessment of 76 candidates to Supreme Court of Justice judge positions. It was announced that by Thursday, 4 April 2019, the replacement or confirmation of two to 12 judges will be known.
Of 12 possible replacements, nine are mandatorily from career judges, with three open to lawyers.
Supreme Court of Justice judges that aspire to continue in their posts are: Manuel Herrera Carbuccia, Miriam Germán Brito, Esther Agelán Casasnovas, Francisco Jerez Mena, Jose Alberto Cruceta, Robert Placencia, Hirohito Reyes, Fran Soto and Alejandro Moscoso Segarra. The president of the Supreme Court of Justice Mariano Germán announced he would not seek to continue. Also resigning is judge Edgar Hernández.
There is also widespread interest to see whether highly reputed Supreme Court of Justice judge Miriam Germán Brito would be confirmed after she was victimized by a CNM member, Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez. There is speculation that lawyer Luis Henry Molina, who at present is director of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications, is the government’s choice to preside the Supreme Court of Justice.
The CNM is now convened for Thursday, 4 April at 3pm. The hearing will be streamed live.
Ministry of Public Works begins repairing sinkhole on Duarte Highway
The gaping sinkhole that opened up on the northbound lanes of the Duarte Highway near the entrance to the Santiago’s El Cibao International Airport late last week is being repaired by teams of workers from the Ministry of Public Works. The incident at Km 144 of the highway, the nation’s busiest, tied up traffic for days. The damage was attributed to the heavy rains that had fallen in the area.
Ministry of Public Works highway assistance units in the area are helping motorists get around the damaged section and on their way.
The Ministry of Public Works is investigating the cause of the sinkhole in order to take such measures as needed to ensure no further interruptions of traffic. There are other signs of serious damage to the highway just a few hundred meters away at a bridge over a small creek that is showing some cracks, and near the Hodelpa Garden Court (former Marriott Courtyard), the beginnings of another serious sinkhole can be seen.
https://elcaribe.com.do/2019/03/29/...la-reparacion-de-socavon-en-autopista-duarte/
https://elnacional.com.do/obras-pub...-la-solucion-del-socavon-en-autopista-duarte/
Santo Domingo Skylift is back in service
After two weeks of maintenance works, the OPRET office that manages the Santo Domingo Metro and the Santo Domingo Skylift announced service has resumed as of 6am of Monday, 1 April 2019. The next preventive maintenance is scheduled for October 2019.
The Skylift crosses over the Ozama River, connecting east and west Santo Domingo. Those riding on the skylift get a free pass to the Santo Domingo Metro.
http://www.opret.gob.do/DetallesNoticias.aspx?IdLocal=1021
Pension management companies invest their biggest chunk in government debt
As of February 2019, the Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones (AFP) had bought RD$141.9 billion in government bonds. This is about a third of the RD$528.4 billion in government bond placement in the local market. The AFPs are the biggest holders of government debt in the country.
According to the latest report from the Public Credit Agency (Dirección de Crédito Público), the AFPs their placement in government bonds increased by 17.8% in 2018. Yield of these bonds is on average 12%.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...-la-deuda-interna-durante-este-ano-KC12459333
Finally, Altice resets mobile service; promises compensation to clients
Altice (Orange and Tricom) mobile customers went without services for over two days, with no phone calls and no data. With the restoration of service over the weekend, Tricom announced their customers would be compensated for the technical breakdown depending on their telecom plans.
The company explained that the fix required both local and international technicians to solve “this unusual situation.” They said that technicians from the United States and Portugal joined forces with local engineers to correct the problems that they said began with an electricity outage that impacted their equipment. The imported technicians work for Ericson, and Cisco Technology. Spokesman Rafael Pichardo, the head of Altice Technology, explained that the latest generation equipment requires very strict protocols in order to re-establish their quality service.
Some 3.6 million mobile phones are serviced by Altice Dominicana after the fusion of Orange and Tricom in 2017.
The Altice mobile collapse came after the 21 March Claro breakdown.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...on-a-usuarios-afectados-por-averia-EE12437605
https://eldia.com.do/altice-compensara-a-clientes-afectados/
https://indotel.gob.do/noticias/ind...d-de-altice-y-ordena-fiscalizar-red-de-claro/
Labor withdraws from salary talks
The labor representatives in minimum wage talks have walked away from the discussions under the National Wage Commission (CNS) that are being chaired by the rector of the INTEC University, Rolando Guzmán. The talks have coincided with the Executive Branch sending to Congress a bill that would close the Dominican Social Security Institute. The shutdown is long pending.
Now the Medina administration proposes to create another high-wage paying government entity. The National Labor Risk Institute would be charged with the issues surrounding workers’ compensation after dismissal (cesantía) or severance pay.
While the CNS jurisdiction is limited to reaching agreements for increases in minimum wage, changes to the Labor Code are taking a front seat in the discussions.
The union representatives have maintained they are standing firm to their stance for no changes to severance payments as contemplated in the present Labor Code (Law 16-92) that dates back to 1992. The labor representatives say this issue is non-negotiable.
As a first step to emphasize their firm position, the union leaders say that on Wednesday, 10 April 2019, they would stage a huge march between Enriquillo Park and the Presidential Palace. They called upon all workers, both unionized and non-union to take part in the protest.
The position of the business sector is that the Labor Code needs to be amended to bring it up-to-date and be more flexible in order to stimulate business. The business sector says it is preparing a proposal that will be presented in the future. Pedro Brache, president of the National Business Council (Conep) said the business sector did not part in drafting the bill that proposes a new National Labor Risk Institute.
In an editorial on Monday, 1 April 2019 in Diario Libre, managing editor Inés Aizpún highlights that all eyes are on the changes to the Labor Code that she describes as “obsolete”.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...go-sobre-reforma-de-codigo-laboral-CE12437371
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/am/este-pacto-lo-entiende-todo-el-mundo-CB12460992
https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...-cesantia-no-afecta-a-trabajadores-BB12460742
Followers campaign heavily, yet President Danilo Medina is mute on reelection
In an interview in August 2018 with TV host Jatnna Tavarez, President Danilo Medina had told the nation he would announce in March 2019 whether or not he would back an amendment of the 2015 Constitution to enable him to run for a second reelection. The 2015 Constitution was reformed to enable him to run for his first reelection in 2016.
The President has not given his position, but his followers have revved up political activities nationwide backing his staying in power. And his sister, legislator Lucía Medina has told government workers to get to work for his candidacy in order to ensure their own jobs. Political campaign activities are banned by the Electoral Regime Law, but the dispositions are ignored by the JCE and those called upon to enforce them, as Al Pais former presidential candidate, Guillermo Moreno remarks in an op-ed feature in Diario Libre on 1 April.
The decision on whether he will seek the PLD presidential candidacy needs to be announced after a meeting of the Political Committee of the ruling PLD party. A party meeting has been set for Monday, 1 April 2019. The Political Committee needs to address Medina’s aspirations and those of party president, former three-term President Leonel Fernández, the leading contender for the PLD presidential nomination.
Premature campaigning by political candidates is normal. The JCE had given a 15-day deadline for political party pre-candidates to remove their billboards. This is contemplated in Political Parties Law 33-18. The responsibility, nevertheless, for the removal has been left to up to the budgets of city governments.
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) schedule for the election is that the pre-campaign deadline for the choosing of the pre-candidates is 7 July 2019, with the parties needing to deliver the names of the pre-candidates that will participate in the 6 October 2019 simultaneous primaries to the JCE by 22 August. The winners of the primaries will be announced no later than 16 October 2019 and need to be registered at the JCE by 25 October 2019.
Other key dates on the general election schedule are:
7 June 2019. Deadline for alliances and mergers.
27 October 2019. Deadline for election of candidates by parties not using the primaries modality.
16 February 2020. Municipal and legislative elections.
20 May 2020. Presidential and vice presidential election.
https://eldia.com.do/el-carrusel-de-la-vida-1415/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...-la-reeleccion-cuatro-anos-despues-MC12453816
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/en-directo/la-jce-y-la-campana-reeleccionista-BB12461033
PRD desists from open primaries
The Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) announced it will choose its presidential and vice presidential candidates using another method and will not continue with its initial plan to carry out open primaries on 6 October 2019. The announcement was made after a party meeting was held at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel with the participation of 88.3% of the members of the Political Commission of the PRD.
The party appointed Women Minister Janet Camilo to preside over a commission to choose the method. The same commission will work with the party’s national secretariat for electoral matters to decide on the method to choose candidates at the municipal and legislative levels and present to the Political Commission of the party.
While in the past primaries were mandatory for all political parties, the newly passed Political Parties Law 33-18 allows for multiple methods for choosing political candidates. The Central Electoral Board (JCE) recently announced it would pick up 60% of the cost of the primaries. The JCE is also taking a lead in the organization of the simultaneous primaries on 6 October 2019.
The PRD has been a strong ally to the Medina administration since its legislators gave the PLD the needed votes to change the 2010 Constitution that banned President Medina from running for reelection in the 2016 presidential election. The president of the party is Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado.
The PRD alliance also saved the party’s status as a majority party, and a share of 80% of the taxpayer fund that by law is allotted to political parties, together with the PLD, PRM and PRSC. The party thus survived after key party members split to form the PRM.
All parties need to have registered their candidates with the JCE by 7 July 2019.
http://z101digital.com/el-prd-decid...iertas-para-escoger-candidatura-presidencial/
Citizen Participation rejects”coat-tailing” of deputies and senators
The Participación Ciudadana (Citizen Participation) civic watchdog group has issued a public note of support of a motion presented by the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) that rejects the “coat-tailing” of votes for deputies and senators. The PRM had asked the Central Electoral Board (JCE) to eliminate the practice of allowing votes for deputies to be counted for senators and has asked the JCE to provide separate ballots for senatorial candidates and deputy candidates.
Participacion Ciudadana asked the JCE to implement Art.92 of the Organic Law of Elections, (Num. 15-19), which calls for a separate ballot for senatorial candidates. The civic group said that “there is no doubt that the JCE has the power to regulate and establish a ballot for Senate races that is different from the one used for candidates for deputy.”
Participación Ciudadana said that it was “anti-democratic … that the votes for a deputy from one party should also go to the Senate candidate for the same party (coat-tailing).”
The PC also points out that Law Num. 15-19 also contains some contradictions regarding coat-tailing. Article 92 calls for separate ballots, while article 104, paragraph III prohibits votes from one district being counted for candidates from another district. Then paragraph IV of the same article makes an exception for senators “who will receive all of the votes obtained by the party in the province.” The constitutional and legal arguments will surely continue on this issue for the coming months.
https://eldia.com.do/participacion-ciudadana-rechaza-voto-de-arrastre-entre-diputados-y-senadores/
Democracy sinks to bottom in Latin America and the Caribbean
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Center for Governance and Social Management (CEGES) of Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) university, presented the Report on Democratic Quality in the Dominican Republic "Universalizing Rights for the Formal and Substantive Citizenship of the 21st Century in Latin America and the Caribbean" -- 2019. The document is described as an x-ray of the current state of the quality of democracy in the Dominican Republic.
The study places the Dominican Republic in the bottom five in the democratic quality of 24 countries assessed in Latin America and the Caribbean. The study indicates that the weaknesses of Dominican democracy are not only responding to the demands of the moment but are also structural and contrast with the booming economic progress that is not reflected in institutional and social advances. The study indicates there is growing distrust in state institutions and political parties, and in freedom of expression.
The ruling PLD has been in power since 2004. The PLD controls the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch, that in turns decides on the Judicial Branch. President Danilo Medina himself presides the National Council of the Magistracy that at present is deciding the new appointments to the Supreme Court of Justice.
The report says the “great improvements” that had been registered from 1994 to the beginnings of the 2000s have evaporated since the middle of the decade of 2010, with setbacks in the quality of elections, arbitrary use of state advertising, self-censorship and lack of diversity of opinion in the main media, very low levels of transparency in the private financing of political parties and democratic deficiencies in partisan practices.
Only Honduras, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela have scored worse than the Dominican Republic.
To carry out the report, the research team relied on the analysis, crossing and systematization of existing sources. The team used 15 indexes and international surveys, and nine national surveys, the latter from state agencies.
http://www.do.undp.org/content/domi...-la-calidad-democratica-en-republica-dom.html
http://hoy.com.do/la-calidad-democratica-de-rd-entre-las-5-peores-de-la-region/
The judges for Dominicana’s Got Talent announced
TV host Milagros Germán, writer and theater director Waddys Jaquez, actor Nashla Bogaert and comedian Raymond Pozo will be the judges for the first edition of the popular international reality show that will air September to December 2019. Actor Frank Perozo has been named the host for the show.
https://dominicanatienetalento.com/
Jose Asilis reaches a deal with DGII
Pre-trial custody against businessman José Asilis Elmudesí was revoked after he reached a deal with the Seventh Court for Instruction of the National District. He was sent to trial accused of tax fraud for RD$56 million.
Judge Kenya Romero announced the conditioned suspension after Asilis reached the agreement with the Tax Agency (DGII). Asilis had been ordered to house arrest.
According to the Public Ministry, from 2008 to 2018, Asilis had not paid ITBIS for the aforementioned amount. He was sued for tax fraud at the companies Metro Servicios Turístico , Metro Tours, Grupo Metro, Brightsea, Operadora de Golf SA , Playa Marota S.A, Metro Country Club .
https://elnacional.com.do/levantan-...s-acuerdo-pagar-50-millones-a-dgii-en-un-ano/
Police admits to abuses of sex workers
Spokesman for the Police, Colonel Frank Durán said the National Police ordered an investigation into findings by Amnesty International of abuses of the Police agents against sex workers. According to Amnesty International of the 97,000 102,000 sex workers, including 5,000 transgender, around 89% have suffered physical or verbal abuse by police agents.
The Police acknowledged it has two cases of complaints, one in Santiago and the other in the Colonial City in which policemen were involved and penalized according to the rulings.
In the study presented by Erika Guevara Rosa, director for the Americas for Amnesty International, she said that they interviewed 46 sex workers, of which 10 said they had been raped by policemen.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...dmite-abusos-contra-dos-trabajadoras-sexuales
Rains in the Cibao give hope to farmers and cattlemen
Four days of rains fell in most of the Cibao Valley very late last week, and both urban and rural populations were elated. According to reports in the Diario Libre and the El Caribe, farmers and cattlemen are hopeful that this will be a major break in the months’ long drought.
The head of the Irrigation Board for the Horacio Vasquez Canal in Montecristi, Jose Eugenio de la Rosa, told reporters that the water supply to the farmers in the area had increased enough to supply water for important harvests such as bananas, rice and plantains. He said that they were hopeful that the rains would continue to supply the watersheds for the rivers that supply the Yaque del Norte river.
He said that his community of farmers were getting sufficient water to have a successful harvest. Areas such as Guayubin, Esperanza, Mao and Castañuelas have been getting good rains. In the four northwestern provinces some 100,000 tareas are under rice and banana production.
The rains provided a respite for the farmers and cattlemen of the region, especially after some six months without any significant water from the skies. Rivers such as the Amina and Mao, major tributaries of the Yaque del Norte, were filled with water and caused some urban flooding.
According to the El Caribe reporter, Jose Fernandez, these rains have been a blessing for farmers. Santiago Rodriguez, where over 1,000 head of cattle had reportedly died from the drought, was also blessed with heavy rains. The Mao river, where the Monción Dam is located, was somewhat less full of water than the Amina, but both showed major flows into the Yaque.
In Santiago, there was urban flooding, but the important issue was the rains in the Central Mountain Range that are the watersheds for the most important rivers in this country and Haiti. The water level at the important Tavera Dam increased to 314.7 meters above sea level, yet still far below its optimum operating level of 325m.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...res-agricolas-de-la-linea-noroeste-NE12437802
https://elcaribe.com.do/2019/03/29/panorama/region-norte/lluvias-llevan-respiro-la-linea-noroeste/
http://hoy.com.do/alerta-en-10-provincias-siguen-las-lluvias/
Four Dominican prospects for Rookie-of-the-Year 2019
With the 2019 season of Major League Baseball finally underway, baseball addicts are now trying to predict the winners of the various important awards that come at the end of the season: Cy Young, for pitchers, Gold Gloves for each position, MVP for both leagues, and Rookie of the Year for each league.
David Adler and some 50 experts from MLB.com have looked at the candidates for Rookie of the Year. First on their list is Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., a third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. He is perhaps the most anxiously awaited prospect in years, and is currently out of action with a strained oblique muscle. However, the 20-year old power hitter is the odds-on favorite for the award in the American League.
But then there is Eloy Jimenez, who plays in the outfield for the Chicago White Sox, and who has just received a US$43 million, six-year extension to his contract, even though he has yet to play in the Big Leagues. This contract could extend to eight years and US$75 million if certain goals are met. He is only 22 years old.
Over in the National League, another Dominican, Fernando Tatis, III, the second highest prospect in all of baseball, showed off his talent during Spring Training. At just 20, he was the favorite of the experts at MLB.com. He and Manny Machado will be in the outfield for San Diego this year.
And another Dominican, Victor Robles, will be in the outfield for the Washington Nationals. He had his “cup of coffee” in the big leagues last September when he batted.288/348/525 and had 3 stolen bases and 3 homers during his short stay with the major league club. This year he is slated to be the center fielder for Washington at just 21 years of age.
https://www.mlb.com/news/predicting-2019-mvp-cy-young-rookie-of-the-year-awards
https://www.diariolibre.com/deporte...r-novatos-del-ano-en-grandes-ligas-GE12436734
102 Dominicans on MLB rosters on opening day
An Associated Press news story highlights that for the first time a single country has more than 100 players on the opening rosters of MLB. MLB said that 251 of the 882 players on the rosters were foreign-born. Of these, 102 are Dominican-born, or 11.6%. This does not include Dominican baseball players that were born in the United States, such as Manny Machado, Dellín Betances, Jeimer Candelario, Alex Reyes and Adalberto Mondesí. Dominicans make up 40.6% of all foreign baseball players, Venezuela is second with 68 and Cuba third with 19.
https://listindiario.com/el-deporte...na-supera-el-centenar-de-jugadores-en-nominas
Barahona Tourism Fair seeks to put the South in the spotlight
Barahona tourism representatives want to lead the launching of the south region as a diverse destination to attract more visitors. Virgilio Perez Bernal, president, and Elena Nunziatini, director, of the Barahona Production & Tourism Cluster say the tourism clusters in Baní, San José de Ocoa and other towns are participating in the promotional effort. The idea is to form a Tourism Corridor from Santo Domingo to the South. Barahona hosts its Annual Production & Tourism Fair this 5-8 April at the UCATEBI in Barahona city.
The spokespersons for the Barahona cluster say they do not want to copy what Puerto Plata or Punta Cana have done. They acknowledge the area is not optimal for all-inclusive resorts and mass tourists. Instead, they want to create a constant flow of bird-watchers, environmentalists and boaters coming to secluded beaches in protected areas and national parks. They are calling these people “educated consumers”. Highlights of the fair will be the gastronomy of the region and presentations on the lodges and accommodations. Father Miguel Fuentes, a botanist, will present the first collection of the plants in the region at the fair.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economia/una-feria-para-conocer-el-potencial-de-barahona-ED12445122
New Supreme Court of Justice president to be announced Thursday
Ministry of Public Works begins repairing sinkhole on Duarte Highway
Santo Domingo Skylift is back in service
Pension management companies invest a chunk in government debt
Finally, Altice resets mobile service; promises compensation to clients
Labor withdraws from salary talks
Followers campaign heavily, yet President Danilo Medina is mute on reelection
PRD desists from open primaries
Citizen Participation rejects”coat-tailing” of deputies and senators
Democracy sinks to bottom in Latin America and the Caribbean
The judges for Dominicana’s Got Talent announced
Asilis reaches a deal with DGII
Police admits to abuses to sex workers
Rains in the Cibao give hope to farmers and cattlemen
Four Dominican prospects for Rookie-of-the-Year 2019
102 Dominicans on MLB rosters on opening day
Barahona Tourism Fair seeks to put the South in the spotlight
Easier to open a business; capital restriction eliminated
President Danilo Medina signed Law 68-19 that amends Art. 91 of the Businesses Law (General de Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada) on Friday, 29 March 2019. The amendment eliminates the RD$100,000 minimum capital to open a limited responsibility company and leaves the amount of the capital investment up to the shareholders. For some time now, though, the RD$100,000 requirement was not being enforced by local authorities in charge of company formation.
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...19-que-modifica-articulo-91-de-ley-general-de
https://www.scribd.com/document/403643333/Ley-68-19
New Supreme Court of Justice president to be announced Thursday
During the Friday, 29 March 2019 session of the National Council of the Magistracy, the selection committee announced the completing of the assessment of 76 candidates to Supreme Court of Justice judge positions. It was announced that by Thursday, 4 April 2019, the replacement or confirmation of two to 12 judges will be known.
Of 12 possible replacements, nine are mandatorily from career judges, with three open to lawyers.
Supreme Court of Justice judges that aspire to continue in their posts are: Manuel Herrera Carbuccia, Miriam Germán Brito, Esther Agelán Casasnovas, Francisco Jerez Mena, Jose Alberto Cruceta, Robert Placencia, Hirohito Reyes, Fran Soto and Alejandro Moscoso Segarra. The president of the Supreme Court of Justice Mariano Germán announced he would not seek to continue. Also resigning is judge Edgar Hernández.
There is also widespread interest to see whether highly reputed Supreme Court of Justice judge Miriam Germán Brito would be confirmed after she was victimized by a CNM member, Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez. There is speculation that lawyer Luis Henry Molina, who at present is director of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications, is the government’s choice to preside the Supreme Court of Justice.
The CNM is now convened for Thursday, 4 April at 3pm. The hearing will be streamed live.
Ministry of Public Works begins repairing sinkhole on Duarte Highway
The gaping sinkhole that opened up on the northbound lanes of the Duarte Highway near the entrance to the Santiago’s El Cibao International Airport late last week is being repaired by teams of workers from the Ministry of Public Works. The incident at Km 144 of the highway, the nation’s busiest, tied up traffic for days. The damage was attributed to the heavy rains that had fallen in the area.
Ministry of Public Works highway assistance units in the area are helping motorists get around the damaged section and on their way.
The Ministry of Public Works is investigating the cause of the sinkhole in order to take such measures as needed to ensure no further interruptions of traffic. There are other signs of serious damage to the highway just a few hundred meters away at a bridge over a small creek that is showing some cracks, and near the Hodelpa Garden Court (former Marriott Courtyard), the beginnings of another serious sinkhole can be seen.
https://elcaribe.com.do/2019/03/29/...la-reparacion-de-socavon-en-autopista-duarte/
https://elnacional.com.do/obras-pub...-la-solucion-del-socavon-en-autopista-duarte/
Santo Domingo Skylift is back in service
After two weeks of maintenance works, the OPRET office that manages the Santo Domingo Metro and the Santo Domingo Skylift announced service has resumed as of 6am of Monday, 1 April 2019. The next preventive maintenance is scheduled for October 2019.
The Skylift crosses over the Ozama River, connecting east and west Santo Domingo. Those riding on the skylift get a free pass to the Santo Domingo Metro.
http://www.opret.gob.do/DetallesNoticias.aspx?IdLocal=1021
Pension management companies invest their biggest chunk in government debt
As of February 2019, the Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones (AFP) had bought RD$141.9 billion in government bonds. This is about a third of the RD$528.4 billion in government bond placement in the local market. The AFPs are the biggest holders of government debt in the country.
According to the latest report from the Public Credit Agency (Dirección de Crédito Público), the AFPs their placement in government bonds increased by 17.8% in 2018. Yield of these bonds is on average 12%.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...-la-deuda-interna-durante-este-ano-KC12459333
Finally, Altice resets mobile service; promises compensation to clients
Altice (Orange and Tricom) mobile customers went without services for over two days, with no phone calls and no data. With the restoration of service over the weekend, Tricom announced their customers would be compensated for the technical breakdown depending on their telecom plans.
The company explained that the fix required both local and international technicians to solve “this unusual situation.” They said that technicians from the United States and Portugal joined forces with local engineers to correct the problems that they said began with an electricity outage that impacted their equipment. The imported technicians work for Ericson, and Cisco Technology. Spokesman Rafael Pichardo, the head of Altice Technology, explained that the latest generation equipment requires very strict protocols in order to re-establish their quality service.
Some 3.6 million mobile phones are serviced by Altice Dominicana after the fusion of Orange and Tricom in 2017.
The Altice mobile collapse came after the 21 March Claro breakdown.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...on-a-usuarios-afectados-por-averia-EE12437605
https://eldia.com.do/altice-compensara-a-clientes-afectados/
https://indotel.gob.do/noticias/ind...d-de-altice-y-ordena-fiscalizar-red-de-claro/
Labor withdraws from salary talks
The labor representatives in minimum wage talks have walked away from the discussions under the National Wage Commission (CNS) that are being chaired by the rector of the INTEC University, Rolando Guzmán. The talks have coincided with the Executive Branch sending to Congress a bill that would close the Dominican Social Security Institute. The shutdown is long pending.
Now the Medina administration proposes to create another high-wage paying government entity. The National Labor Risk Institute would be charged with the issues surrounding workers’ compensation after dismissal (cesantía) or severance pay.
While the CNS jurisdiction is limited to reaching agreements for increases in minimum wage, changes to the Labor Code are taking a front seat in the discussions.
The union representatives have maintained they are standing firm to their stance for no changes to severance payments as contemplated in the present Labor Code (Law 16-92) that dates back to 1992. The labor representatives say this issue is non-negotiable.
As a first step to emphasize their firm position, the union leaders say that on Wednesday, 10 April 2019, they would stage a huge march between Enriquillo Park and the Presidential Palace. They called upon all workers, both unionized and non-union to take part in the protest.
The position of the business sector is that the Labor Code needs to be amended to bring it up-to-date and be more flexible in order to stimulate business. The business sector says it is preparing a proposal that will be presented in the future. Pedro Brache, president of the National Business Council (Conep) said the business sector did not part in drafting the bill that proposes a new National Labor Risk Institute.
In an editorial on Monday, 1 April 2019 in Diario Libre, managing editor Inés Aizpún highlights that all eyes are on the changes to the Labor Code that she describes as “obsolete”.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...go-sobre-reforma-de-codigo-laboral-CE12437371
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/am/este-pacto-lo-entiende-todo-el-mundo-CB12460992
https://www.diariolibre.com/economi...-cesantia-no-afecta-a-trabajadores-BB12460742
Followers campaign heavily, yet President Danilo Medina is mute on reelection
In an interview in August 2018 with TV host Jatnna Tavarez, President Danilo Medina had told the nation he would announce in March 2019 whether or not he would back an amendment of the 2015 Constitution to enable him to run for a second reelection. The 2015 Constitution was reformed to enable him to run for his first reelection in 2016.
The President has not given his position, but his followers have revved up political activities nationwide backing his staying in power. And his sister, legislator Lucía Medina has told government workers to get to work for his candidacy in order to ensure their own jobs. Political campaign activities are banned by the Electoral Regime Law, but the dispositions are ignored by the JCE and those called upon to enforce them, as Al Pais former presidential candidate, Guillermo Moreno remarks in an op-ed feature in Diario Libre on 1 April.
The decision on whether he will seek the PLD presidential candidacy needs to be announced after a meeting of the Political Committee of the ruling PLD party. A party meeting has been set for Monday, 1 April 2019. The Political Committee needs to address Medina’s aspirations and those of party president, former three-term President Leonel Fernández, the leading contender for the PLD presidential nomination.
Premature campaigning by political candidates is normal. The JCE had given a 15-day deadline for political party pre-candidates to remove their billboards. This is contemplated in Political Parties Law 33-18. The responsibility, nevertheless, for the removal has been left to up to the budgets of city governments.
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) schedule for the election is that the pre-campaign deadline for the choosing of the pre-candidates is 7 July 2019, with the parties needing to deliver the names of the pre-candidates that will participate in the 6 October 2019 simultaneous primaries to the JCE by 22 August. The winners of the primaries will be announced no later than 16 October 2019 and need to be registered at the JCE by 25 October 2019.
Other key dates on the general election schedule are:
7 June 2019. Deadline for alliances and mergers.
27 October 2019. Deadline for election of candidates by parties not using the primaries modality.
16 February 2020. Municipal and legislative elections.
20 May 2020. Presidential and vice presidential election.
https://eldia.com.do/el-carrusel-de-la-vida-1415/
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...-la-reeleccion-cuatro-anos-despues-MC12453816
https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/en-directo/la-jce-y-la-campana-reeleccionista-BB12461033
PRD desists from open primaries
The Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) announced it will choose its presidential and vice presidential candidates using another method and will not continue with its initial plan to carry out open primaries on 6 October 2019. The announcement was made after a party meeting was held at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel with the participation of 88.3% of the members of the Political Commission of the PRD.
The party appointed Women Minister Janet Camilo to preside over a commission to choose the method. The same commission will work with the party’s national secretariat for electoral matters to decide on the method to choose candidates at the municipal and legislative levels and present to the Political Commission of the party.
While in the past primaries were mandatory for all political parties, the newly passed Political Parties Law 33-18 allows for multiple methods for choosing political candidates. The Central Electoral Board (JCE) recently announced it would pick up 60% of the cost of the primaries. The JCE is also taking a lead in the organization of the simultaneous primaries on 6 October 2019.
The PRD has been a strong ally to the Medina administration since its legislators gave the PLD the needed votes to change the 2010 Constitution that banned President Medina from running for reelection in the 2016 presidential election. The president of the party is Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado.
The PRD alliance also saved the party’s status as a majority party, and a share of 80% of the taxpayer fund that by law is allotted to political parties, together with the PLD, PRM and PRSC. The party thus survived after key party members split to form the PRM.
All parties need to have registered their candidates with the JCE by 7 July 2019.
http://z101digital.com/el-prd-decid...iertas-para-escoger-candidatura-presidencial/
Citizen Participation rejects”coat-tailing” of deputies and senators
The Participación Ciudadana (Citizen Participation) civic watchdog group has issued a public note of support of a motion presented by the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) that rejects the “coat-tailing” of votes for deputies and senators. The PRM had asked the Central Electoral Board (JCE) to eliminate the practice of allowing votes for deputies to be counted for senators and has asked the JCE to provide separate ballots for senatorial candidates and deputy candidates.
Participacion Ciudadana asked the JCE to implement Art.92 of the Organic Law of Elections, (Num. 15-19), which calls for a separate ballot for senatorial candidates. The civic group said that “there is no doubt that the JCE has the power to regulate and establish a ballot for Senate races that is different from the one used for candidates for deputy.”
Participación Ciudadana said that it was “anti-democratic … that the votes for a deputy from one party should also go to the Senate candidate for the same party (coat-tailing).”
The PC also points out that Law Num. 15-19 also contains some contradictions regarding coat-tailing. Article 92 calls for separate ballots, while article 104, paragraph III prohibits votes from one district being counted for candidates from another district. Then paragraph IV of the same article makes an exception for senators “who will receive all of the votes obtained by the party in the province.” The constitutional and legal arguments will surely continue on this issue for the coming months.
https://eldia.com.do/participacion-ciudadana-rechaza-voto-de-arrastre-entre-diputados-y-senadores/
Democracy sinks to bottom in Latin America and the Caribbean
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Center for Governance and Social Management (CEGES) of Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) university, presented the Report on Democratic Quality in the Dominican Republic "Universalizing Rights for the Formal and Substantive Citizenship of the 21st Century in Latin America and the Caribbean" -- 2019. The document is described as an x-ray of the current state of the quality of democracy in the Dominican Republic.
The study places the Dominican Republic in the bottom five in the democratic quality of 24 countries assessed in Latin America and the Caribbean. The study indicates that the weaknesses of Dominican democracy are not only responding to the demands of the moment but are also structural and contrast with the booming economic progress that is not reflected in institutional and social advances. The study indicates there is growing distrust in state institutions and political parties, and in freedom of expression.
The ruling PLD has been in power since 2004. The PLD controls the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch, that in turns decides on the Judicial Branch. President Danilo Medina himself presides the National Council of the Magistracy that at present is deciding the new appointments to the Supreme Court of Justice.
The report says the “great improvements” that had been registered from 1994 to the beginnings of the 2000s have evaporated since the middle of the decade of 2010, with setbacks in the quality of elections, arbitrary use of state advertising, self-censorship and lack of diversity of opinion in the main media, very low levels of transparency in the private financing of political parties and democratic deficiencies in partisan practices.
Only Honduras, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela have scored worse than the Dominican Republic.
To carry out the report, the research team relied on the analysis, crossing and systematization of existing sources. The team used 15 indexes and international surveys, and nine national surveys, the latter from state agencies.
http://www.do.undp.org/content/domi...-la-calidad-democratica-en-republica-dom.html
http://hoy.com.do/la-calidad-democratica-de-rd-entre-las-5-peores-de-la-region/
The judges for Dominicana’s Got Talent announced
TV host Milagros Germán, writer and theater director Waddys Jaquez, actor Nashla Bogaert and comedian Raymond Pozo will be the judges for the first edition of the popular international reality show that will air September to December 2019. Actor Frank Perozo has been named the host for the show.
https://dominicanatienetalento.com/
Jose Asilis reaches a deal with DGII
Pre-trial custody against businessman José Asilis Elmudesí was revoked after he reached a deal with the Seventh Court for Instruction of the National District. He was sent to trial accused of tax fraud for RD$56 million.
Judge Kenya Romero announced the conditioned suspension after Asilis reached the agreement with the Tax Agency (DGII). Asilis had been ordered to house arrest.
According to the Public Ministry, from 2008 to 2018, Asilis had not paid ITBIS for the aforementioned amount. He was sued for tax fraud at the companies Metro Servicios Turístico , Metro Tours, Grupo Metro, Brightsea, Operadora de Golf SA , Playa Marota S.A, Metro Country Club .
https://elnacional.com.do/levantan-...s-acuerdo-pagar-50-millones-a-dgii-en-un-ano/
Police admits to abuses of sex workers
Spokesman for the Police, Colonel Frank Durán said the National Police ordered an investigation into findings by Amnesty International of abuses of the Police agents against sex workers. According to Amnesty International of the 97,000 102,000 sex workers, including 5,000 transgender, around 89% have suffered physical or verbal abuse by police agents.
The Police acknowledged it has two cases of complaints, one in Santiago and the other in the Colonial City in which policemen were involved and penalized according to the rulings.
In the study presented by Erika Guevara Rosa, director for the Americas for Amnesty International, she said that they interviewed 46 sex workers, of which 10 said they had been raped by policemen.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...dmite-abusos-contra-dos-trabajadoras-sexuales
Rains in the Cibao give hope to farmers and cattlemen
Four days of rains fell in most of the Cibao Valley very late last week, and both urban and rural populations were elated. According to reports in the Diario Libre and the El Caribe, farmers and cattlemen are hopeful that this will be a major break in the months’ long drought.
The head of the Irrigation Board for the Horacio Vasquez Canal in Montecristi, Jose Eugenio de la Rosa, told reporters that the water supply to the farmers in the area had increased enough to supply water for important harvests such as bananas, rice and plantains. He said that they were hopeful that the rains would continue to supply the watersheds for the rivers that supply the Yaque del Norte river.
He said that his community of farmers were getting sufficient water to have a successful harvest. Areas such as Guayubin, Esperanza, Mao and Castañuelas have been getting good rains. In the four northwestern provinces some 100,000 tareas are under rice and banana production.
The rains provided a respite for the farmers and cattlemen of the region, especially after some six months without any significant water from the skies. Rivers such as the Amina and Mao, major tributaries of the Yaque del Norte, were filled with water and caused some urban flooding.
According to the El Caribe reporter, Jose Fernandez, these rains have been a blessing for farmers. Santiago Rodriguez, where over 1,000 head of cattle had reportedly died from the drought, was also blessed with heavy rains. The Mao river, where the Monción Dam is located, was somewhat less full of water than the Amina, but both showed major flows into the Yaque.
In Santiago, there was urban flooding, but the important issue was the rains in the Central Mountain Range that are the watersheds for the most important rivers in this country and Haiti. The water level at the important Tavera Dam increased to 314.7 meters above sea level, yet still far below its optimum operating level of 325m.
https://www.diariolibre.com/actuali...res-agricolas-de-la-linea-noroeste-NE12437802
https://elcaribe.com.do/2019/03/29/panorama/region-norte/lluvias-llevan-respiro-la-linea-noroeste/
http://hoy.com.do/alerta-en-10-provincias-siguen-las-lluvias/
Four Dominican prospects for Rookie-of-the-Year 2019
With the 2019 season of Major League Baseball finally underway, baseball addicts are now trying to predict the winners of the various important awards that come at the end of the season: Cy Young, for pitchers, Gold Gloves for each position, MVP for both leagues, and Rookie of the Year for each league.
David Adler and some 50 experts from MLB.com have looked at the candidates for Rookie of the Year. First on their list is Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., a third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. He is perhaps the most anxiously awaited prospect in years, and is currently out of action with a strained oblique muscle. However, the 20-year old power hitter is the odds-on favorite for the award in the American League.
But then there is Eloy Jimenez, who plays in the outfield for the Chicago White Sox, and who has just received a US$43 million, six-year extension to his contract, even though he has yet to play in the Big Leagues. This contract could extend to eight years and US$75 million if certain goals are met. He is only 22 years old.
Over in the National League, another Dominican, Fernando Tatis, III, the second highest prospect in all of baseball, showed off his talent during Spring Training. At just 20, he was the favorite of the experts at MLB.com. He and Manny Machado will be in the outfield for San Diego this year.
And another Dominican, Victor Robles, will be in the outfield for the Washington Nationals. He had his “cup of coffee” in the big leagues last September when he batted.288/348/525 and had 3 stolen bases and 3 homers during his short stay with the major league club. This year he is slated to be the center fielder for Washington at just 21 years of age.
https://www.mlb.com/news/predicting-2019-mvp-cy-young-rookie-of-the-year-awards
https://www.diariolibre.com/deporte...r-novatos-del-ano-en-grandes-ligas-GE12436734
102 Dominicans on MLB rosters on opening day
An Associated Press news story highlights that for the first time a single country has more than 100 players on the opening rosters of MLB. MLB said that 251 of the 882 players on the rosters were foreign-born. Of these, 102 are Dominican-born, or 11.6%. This does not include Dominican baseball players that were born in the United States, such as Manny Machado, Dellín Betances, Jeimer Candelario, Alex Reyes and Adalberto Mondesí. Dominicans make up 40.6% of all foreign baseball players, Venezuela is second with 68 and Cuba third with 19.
https://listindiario.com/el-deporte...na-supera-el-centenar-de-jugadores-en-nominas
Barahona Tourism Fair seeks to put the South in the spotlight
Barahona tourism representatives want to lead the launching of the south region as a diverse destination to attract more visitors. Virgilio Perez Bernal, president, and Elena Nunziatini, director, of the Barahona Production & Tourism Cluster say the tourism clusters in Baní, San José de Ocoa and other towns are participating in the promotional effort. The idea is to form a Tourism Corridor from Santo Domingo to the South. Barahona hosts its Annual Production & Tourism Fair this 5-8 April at the UCATEBI in Barahona city.
The spokespersons for the Barahona cluster say they do not want to copy what Puerto Plata or Punta Cana have done. They acknowledge the area is not optimal for all-inclusive resorts and mass tourists. Instead, they want to create a constant flow of bird-watchers, environmentalists and boaters coming to secluded beaches in protected areas and national parks. They are calling these people “educated consumers”. Highlights of the fair will be the gastronomy of the region and presentations on the lodges and accommodations. Father Miguel Fuentes, a botanist, will present the first collection of the plants in the region at the fair.
https://www.diariolibre.com/economia/una-feria-para-conocer-el-potencial-de-barahona-ED12445122
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