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Next DR1 Daily News Update: Monday, 21 October 2019
DR posts improvement in Global Competitiveness Report
OMSA services improve
Medina replaces ambassador to OAS
Economic deceleration negatively affects Dominican foreign trade
Roberto Fulcar: It is crucial to correct vices that distort elections
Alianza Pais meets to choose their candidates for 2020
Participación Ciudadana (PC) calls for proof from the JCE, not press conferences
Bank awards seed capital to three small companies
Obesity up, malnutrition down
US military ship on medical mission in Santo Domingo
Chinese national deported to hear charges for murder of two
Next DR1 Daily News Update: Monday, 21 October 2019
The next DR1 Daily News update will be published on Monday, 21 October 2019. The Monday issue will compile headline news for the previous Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Breaking news can be followed 24/7 in the DR1 Forums. See DR1 Forum at https://dr1.com
DR posts improvement in Global Competitiveness Report
The Dominican Republic improved its ranking in the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report. Rafael Paz, executive director of the National Competitiveness Council (CNC) said that the DR is now in 78th place of 141 countries, up from 82nd place of 140 countries in 2018.
The DR is below Chile (33rd), Mexico (48th), Uruguay (54th), Colombia (57th), Costa Rica (62nd), Peru (65th), Panama (66th), Brazil (71st) and Barbados (77th) in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the Caribbean and Central America, the DR is ranked above Trinidad & Tobago (79th), Jamaica (80th), Guatemala (98th), Honduras (101th), El Salvador (103rd), Nicaragua (109th) and Haiti (138th).
According to the Global Competitiveness Report, Latin American and the Caribbean lags in terms of institutional quality (the average regional score is 47.1) and innovation capability (34.3). These were the two lowest regional performances.
Paz is running for senator for the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).
http://reports.weforum.org/global-competitiveness-report-2019/
OMSA services improve
The director of the Metropolitan Office of Bus Services OMSA, Hector Mojica highlighted route and technological improvements in the government bus line.
He spoke of the start of five new bus routes in Santo Domingo -- Bolívar, Lincoln, Máximo Gómez, Corredor Universitario, Corredor Instituto Tecnológico de San Luis and the expansion of Naco corridor.
He said OMSA buses had transported more than 52 million passengers on 14 corridors in Santo Domingo and Santiago since October 2017. He said OMSA had offered more than 2.5 million free services to public schools, clubs, churches and the military. He mentioned the agreement with the Dominican Baseball League (Lidom), volleyball and basketball sports tournaments.
He mentioned campaigns to care for the elderly, pregnant women and the disabled that board the buses. He spoke of the campaigns underway to educate public school students to behave well on the buses.
Wi-Fi in buses, Google Transit connected to Google Maps to show the stops of all the Omsa bus routes, as new achievements in the past two years.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...destaca-logros-al-cumplir-dos-anos-de-gestion
Medina replaces ambassador to OAS
President Danilo Medina named Josué Antinoe Fiallo as the new Dominican permanent representative at the OAS by Decree 342-19.
He removed Gedeón Santos who had been in the position since 2016. Gedeón Santos was director of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel), prior to his appointment to the OAS.
Former President Leonel Fernández has asked for the OAS support in his challenge to the results of the automated vote count.
https://eldia.com.do/danilo-medina-destituye-a-gedeon-santos-como-representante-rd-ante-la-oea/
Economic deceleration negatively affects Dominican foreign trade
The Customs Agency reports there has been a slowdown in imports and exports this year. Recent data covering January to August 2019 indicates total exports were up US$261 million or 4.1%. This was less than half the growth for the same period in 2018. Free zone exports have stagnated, with some growth reported in cigar exports. There were setbacks in jewelry, apparel and footwear exports. Gold and silver exports benefited from higher prices.
Interestingly, for the first time in years imports are down, attributed to the slowdown in the pace of economic growth. Total imports were up only 1.6%, compared to 14% in 2018. Consumer good imports grew by 5.9%, but raw materials fell by US$206 million (-4.2%) and machinery and equipment imports grew by only US$53 million (2.4%). Petrol imports were the same from January to August 2019, compared to the same period in 2018.
Customs Agency forecasts the trade balance will close with a deficit of US$7.1 billion, very similar to the level reported for January-August 2018.
https://n.com.do/2019/10/16/desacel...egativamente-el-comercio-exterior-dominicano/
Roberto Fulcar: It is crucial to correct vices that distort elections
The first vice-president of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and general campaign coordinator for PRM presidential candidate Luis Abinader, Roberto Fulcar called for corrections to remove doubts on the electoral voting system that would be used in time for the 2020 general elections. He said the uncertainty is affecting the economy and the social tranquility of the country.
Fulcar referred to the demands for transparency made by the civic watchdog group, Participación Ciudadana and other observers of the process. This is in addition to challenges made by former President Leonel Fernández who competed and lost the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) presidential candidacy.
Fulcar says the Central Electoral Board (JCE) needs to take drastic and responsible measures against the libertinism in the purchase of votes in voting centers captured on many videos. He said that there were places where after the close of voting time, people in line to vote were called up to sell their vote, in what appeared like a Persian market.
He speculated that the government candidate in one month spent to the limit in advertising and the JCE did nothing. He warned that already government advertising is promoting the candidacy of Gonzalo Castillo when the campaign has yet to be officially declared open and the JCE has said absolutely nothing.
He said that in the country there is a deep-rooted open culture of fraud. He said the JCE in its role as arbiter needs to resolve the situation by taking serious measures.
He pointed out that this is the best time for those things to be clarified and discussed.
He said the party's electoral team is currently preparing a comprehensive summary and inventory of the primaries, focusing on the risks, problems and weaknesses of the campaigns so the party and institutions can make improvements in time for the 2020 electoral process. He said the primary process was a rehearsal for 2020.
https://eldia.com.do/prm-afirma-es-...s-porque-no-aceptara-un-relajo-en-elecciones/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/10...-corregir-vicios-que-distorsionan-elecciones/
Alianza Pais meets to choose their candidates for 2020
Alianza País will hold conventions on Sunday 20 and 27 October to select the candidates who will participate in next year's electoral processes.
Alianza Pais political party will hold its conventions on Sunday, 20 October to elect its municipal and legislative candidates. The presidential candidate, deputies, Parlacen deputies, national deputies and diaspora deputies convention is set for Sunday, 27 October 2019.
The electoral law establishes Sunday, 27 October as the deadline for political party events to choose their candidates.
https://eldia.com.do/alianza-pais-celebrara-convencion-para-eleccion-de-candidaturas/
Participación Ciudadana (PC) calls for proof from the JCE, not press conferences
The civic watchdog movement Citizen Participación (PC) said that the Central Electoral Board (JCE) needs to say whether the same equipment used in the 6 October primaries will be used in the February and May 2020 elections, observed Francisco Alvarez, speaking for the movement. He said that the JCE should respond to the challenges made by former President Leonel Fernandez to the results of the vote count by showing concrete proofs. He said that is the only way to deliver credibility to the use of the equipment.
In an interview with El Día, Alvarez said that the JCE should particularly investigate the vote in the southern provinces and issue a detailed report on what happened there, in addition to the forensic technical audit that the JCE says it will now undertake.
Alvarez said in the interview that the JCE needs to address issues of equality, transparency in the use of taxpayer money to fund the parties and the role of the electoral police.
During the interview, Heiromy Castro, coordinator for Participación Ciudadana, said that the organization had repeatedly requested an audit of the electronic devices that was to be used in the primaries.
Participación Ciudadana says their requests were practically ignored. In February 2019, the JCE had issued a resolution accepting to carry out the audit, but this did not occur. Instead, days before the primary, the JCE requested remarks from university IT departments.
Carlos Pimentel, director of Participación Ciudadana, spoke of the challenges to issue the regulations for new recent laws on political parties and electoral regime and to guarantee levels of fulfillment of these. He said of these the ruling for control and checks has been approved and now needs to be applied.
Miriam Diaz, board member of the civic watchdog, said the results of the application of Political Parties Law 33-18 were disappointing in regards to the unrestrained use government and private resources to gain votes. "Is the country going to allow a repeat of what happened in the primary in the national elections?" she asks.
Francisco Alvarez concluded the JCE should never have directed the primary election and instead should just have served as arbiter.
https://eldia.com.do/participacion-...a-la-junta-central-electoral-sobre-auditoria/
Bank awards seed capital to three small companies
Banco Popular Dominicano (BPD) carried out the third version of Impúlsate, its entrepreneurship platform. Three projects by young university entrepreneurs were awarded seed capital of RD$3.3 million. The three winning initiatives are Agro360, Rider Lock and Ozeano Swimwear.
Agro360 is a business of research, development and sales of exponential technological solutions for the agricultural industry worldwide. The Rider Lock project is about parking stations for motorcycles and bicycles, which offer safety, organization and optimization of space. Ozeano Swimwear is a brand of ecological swimwear that uses fabric made from recycled plastic bottles and original designs.
The winners also have access to the network of investors Ángeles Enlaces, allies of Banco Popular in this initiative.
https://listindiario.com/economia/2...ndedores-universitarios-son-premiados-por-bpd
Obesity up, malnutrition down
The representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in the Dominican Republic warns that obesity has increased to 26.9% of the population of Dominicans older than 18 years, or approximately 1.9 million Dominicans. The United Nations office in the Dominican Republic also reported exclusive breastfeeding is down to 4.6% in 2018 from 8% in 2012. Rosa Elcarte for Unicef said: "People who have not been breast fed have a higher risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease." She was speaking on occasion of World Food Day, whose motto is "A healthy diet for a zero hunger world.
On the positive side, undernourishment in the population fell from 24.4% in 2004 to 9.5% in 2018, according to data from the report "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World." There has also been a reduction in chronic child malnutrition now at 7.1% of the child population of under five years of age.
https://portal.onu.org.do/onu-insta...imentos-para-mejorar-niveles-de-malnutricion/
US military ship on medical mission in Santo Domingo
The US hospital ship Military Sealift Command USNS Comfort is offering free medical assistance from 16 to 21 October 2019 in Santo Domingo. The military hospital ship expects to offer more than 500 consultations per day. It will also offer surgical operations.
Defense Minister Lieutenant General Rubén D. Paulino Sem welcomed the hospital ship. Services will be offered in general outpatient surgery, ophthalmic surgery, dermatology, medical evaluation and treatment, preventive medicine, dental examinations and treatments.
The USNS Comfort is the largest of its kind in the world. Staff is offerring medical checkups every day from 8am to 4pm at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center (Volleyball Pavilion) and in Parque del Este (Handball Pavilion). Patients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis.
The ship was previously in the country in 2009 when 11,000 persons were assisted and more than 200 surgeries were performed. The ship was also here in 2015 performing 112 surgeries and assisting 10,289 people.
https://eldia.com.do/buque-hospital-de-estados-unidos-ofrecera-asistencia-medica-gratis/
Chinese national deported to hear charges for murder of two
Chinese citizen Guo Sen Liang Situ (Frank) was deported from the United States. He is accused of murdering two Dominicans in Gascue in the National District in a case involving a debt of RD$13 million he owed. He is accused of contracting two Haitians to kill 55-year old José Silva Fernández and 54-year old Héctor Antonio Méndez Rodríguez. The crime occurred on 13 March 2016.
As reported, both would lend money to casino gamblers. The bodies of the deceased were found buried in an underground parking lot of a highrise under contraction at Arístides Fiallo Cabral 105A in Gascue. The forensic report says the bodies showed brutal wounds.
Guo Seng Lian Situ was arrested by US migration when he attempted to cross the border from Mexico to the United States.
https://eldia.com.do/extraditan-chino-acusado-de-matar-dos-empresarios-en-gascue/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...o-acusado-de-matar-a-2-prestamistas-en-gascue
DR posts improvement in Global Competitiveness Report
OMSA services improve
Medina replaces ambassador to OAS
Economic deceleration negatively affects Dominican foreign trade
Roberto Fulcar: It is crucial to correct vices that distort elections
Alianza Pais meets to choose their candidates for 2020
Participación Ciudadana (PC) calls for proof from the JCE, not press conferences
Bank awards seed capital to three small companies
Obesity up, malnutrition down
US military ship on medical mission in Santo Domingo
Chinese national deported to hear charges for murder of two
Next DR1 Daily News Update: Monday, 21 October 2019
The next DR1 Daily News update will be published on Monday, 21 October 2019. The Monday issue will compile headline news for the previous Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Breaking news can be followed 24/7 in the DR1 Forums. See DR1 Forum at https://dr1.com
DR posts improvement in Global Competitiveness Report
The Dominican Republic improved its ranking in the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report. Rafael Paz, executive director of the National Competitiveness Council (CNC) said that the DR is now in 78th place of 141 countries, up from 82nd place of 140 countries in 2018.
The DR is below Chile (33rd), Mexico (48th), Uruguay (54th), Colombia (57th), Costa Rica (62nd), Peru (65th), Panama (66th), Brazil (71st) and Barbados (77th) in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the Caribbean and Central America, the DR is ranked above Trinidad & Tobago (79th), Jamaica (80th), Guatemala (98th), Honduras (101th), El Salvador (103rd), Nicaragua (109th) and Haiti (138th).
According to the Global Competitiveness Report, Latin American and the Caribbean lags in terms of institutional quality (the average regional score is 47.1) and innovation capability (34.3). These were the two lowest regional performances.
Paz is running for senator for the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).
http://reports.weforum.org/global-competitiveness-report-2019/
OMSA services improve
The director of the Metropolitan Office of Bus Services OMSA, Hector Mojica highlighted route and technological improvements in the government bus line.
He spoke of the start of five new bus routes in Santo Domingo -- Bolívar, Lincoln, Máximo Gómez, Corredor Universitario, Corredor Instituto Tecnológico de San Luis and the expansion of Naco corridor.
He said OMSA buses had transported more than 52 million passengers on 14 corridors in Santo Domingo and Santiago since October 2017. He said OMSA had offered more than 2.5 million free services to public schools, clubs, churches and the military. He mentioned the agreement with the Dominican Baseball League (Lidom), volleyball and basketball sports tournaments.
He mentioned campaigns to care for the elderly, pregnant women and the disabled that board the buses. He spoke of the campaigns underway to educate public school students to behave well on the buses.
Wi-Fi in buses, Google Transit connected to Google Maps to show the stops of all the Omsa bus routes, as new achievements in the past two years.
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...destaca-logros-al-cumplir-dos-anos-de-gestion
Medina replaces ambassador to OAS
President Danilo Medina named Josué Antinoe Fiallo as the new Dominican permanent representative at the OAS by Decree 342-19.
He removed Gedeón Santos who had been in the position since 2016. Gedeón Santos was director of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel), prior to his appointment to the OAS.
Former President Leonel Fernández has asked for the OAS support in his challenge to the results of the automated vote count.
https://eldia.com.do/danilo-medina-destituye-a-gedeon-santos-como-representante-rd-ante-la-oea/
Economic deceleration negatively affects Dominican foreign trade
The Customs Agency reports there has been a slowdown in imports and exports this year. Recent data covering January to August 2019 indicates total exports were up US$261 million or 4.1%. This was less than half the growth for the same period in 2018. Free zone exports have stagnated, with some growth reported in cigar exports. There were setbacks in jewelry, apparel and footwear exports. Gold and silver exports benefited from higher prices.
Interestingly, for the first time in years imports are down, attributed to the slowdown in the pace of economic growth. Total imports were up only 1.6%, compared to 14% in 2018. Consumer good imports grew by 5.9%, but raw materials fell by US$206 million (-4.2%) and machinery and equipment imports grew by only US$53 million (2.4%). Petrol imports were the same from January to August 2019, compared to the same period in 2018.
Customs Agency forecasts the trade balance will close with a deficit of US$7.1 billion, very similar to the level reported for January-August 2018.
https://n.com.do/2019/10/16/desacel...egativamente-el-comercio-exterior-dominicano/
Roberto Fulcar: It is crucial to correct vices that distort elections
The first vice-president of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and general campaign coordinator for PRM presidential candidate Luis Abinader, Roberto Fulcar called for corrections to remove doubts on the electoral voting system that would be used in time for the 2020 general elections. He said the uncertainty is affecting the economy and the social tranquility of the country.
Fulcar referred to the demands for transparency made by the civic watchdog group, Participación Ciudadana and other observers of the process. This is in addition to challenges made by former President Leonel Fernández who competed and lost the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) presidential candidacy.
Fulcar says the Central Electoral Board (JCE) needs to take drastic and responsible measures against the libertinism in the purchase of votes in voting centers captured on many videos. He said that there were places where after the close of voting time, people in line to vote were called up to sell their vote, in what appeared like a Persian market.
He speculated that the government candidate in one month spent to the limit in advertising and the JCE did nothing. He warned that already government advertising is promoting the candidacy of Gonzalo Castillo when the campaign has yet to be officially declared open and the JCE has said absolutely nothing.
He said that in the country there is a deep-rooted open culture of fraud. He said the JCE in its role as arbiter needs to resolve the situation by taking serious measures.
He pointed out that this is the best time for those things to be clarified and discussed.
He said the party's electoral team is currently preparing a comprehensive summary and inventory of the primaries, focusing on the risks, problems and weaknesses of the campaigns so the party and institutions can make improvements in time for the 2020 electoral process. He said the primary process was a rehearsal for 2020.
https://eldia.com.do/prm-afirma-es-...s-porque-no-aceptara-un-relajo-en-elecciones/
https://www.elcaribe.com.do/2019/10...-corregir-vicios-que-distorsionan-elecciones/
Alianza Pais meets to choose their candidates for 2020
Alianza País will hold conventions on Sunday 20 and 27 October to select the candidates who will participate in next year's electoral processes.
Alianza Pais political party will hold its conventions on Sunday, 20 October to elect its municipal and legislative candidates. The presidential candidate, deputies, Parlacen deputies, national deputies and diaspora deputies convention is set for Sunday, 27 October 2019.
The electoral law establishes Sunday, 27 October as the deadline for political party events to choose their candidates.
https://eldia.com.do/alianza-pais-celebrara-convencion-para-eleccion-de-candidaturas/
Participación Ciudadana (PC) calls for proof from the JCE, not press conferences
The civic watchdog movement Citizen Participación (PC) said that the Central Electoral Board (JCE) needs to say whether the same equipment used in the 6 October primaries will be used in the February and May 2020 elections, observed Francisco Alvarez, speaking for the movement. He said that the JCE should respond to the challenges made by former President Leonel Fernandez to the results of the vote count by showing concrete proofs. He said that is the only way to deliver credibility to the use of the equipment.
In an interview with El Día, Alvarez said that the JCE should particularly investigate the vote in the southern provinces and issue a detailed report on what happened there, in addition to the forensic technical audit that the JCE says it will now undertake.
Alvarez said in the interview that the JCE needs to address issues of equality, transparency in the use of taxpayer money to fund the parties and the role of the electoral police.
During the interview, Heiromy Castro, coordinator for Participación Ciudadana, said that the organization had repeatedly requested an audit of the electronic devices that was to be used in the primaries.
Participación Ciudadana says their requests were practically ignored. In February 2019, the JCE had issued a resolution accepting to carry out the audit, but this did not occur. Instead, days before the primary, the JCE requested remarks from university IT departments.
Carlos Pimentel, director of Participación Ciudadana, spoke of the challenges to issue the regulations for new recent laws on political parties and electoral regime and to guarantee levels of fulfillment of these. He said of these the ruling for control and checks has been approved and now needs to be applied.
Miriam Diaz, board member of the civic watchdog, said the results of the application of Political Parties Law 33-18 were disappointing in regards to the unrestrained use government and private resources to gain votes. "Is the country going to allow a repeat of what happened in the primary in the national elections?" she asks.
Francisco Alvarez concluded the JCE should never have directed the primary election and instead should just have served as arbiter.
https://eldia.com.do/participacion-...a-la-junta-central-electoral-sobre-auditoria/
Bank awards seed capital to three small companies
Banco Popular Dominicano (BPD) carried out the third version of Impúlsate, its entrepreneurship platform. Three projects by young university entrepreneurs were awarded seed capital of RD$3.3 million. The three winning initiatives are Agro360, Rider Lock and Ozeano Swimwear.
Agro360 is a business of research, development and sales of exponential technological solutions for the agricultural industry worldwide. The Rider Lock project is about parking stations for motorcycles and bicycles, which offer safety, organization and optimization of space. Ozeano Swimwear is a brand of ecological swimwear that uses fabric made from recycled plastic bottles and original designs.
The winners also have access to the network of investors Ángeles Enlaces, allies of Banco Popular in this initiative.
https://listindiario.com/economia/2...ndedores-universitarios-son-premiados-por-bpd
Obesity up, malnutrition down
The representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in the Dominican Republic warns that obesity has increased to 26.9% of the population of Dominicans older than 18 years, or approximately 1.9 million Dominicans. The United Nations office in the Dominican Republic also reported exclusive breastfeeding is down to 4.6% in 2018 from 8% in 2012. Rosa Elcarte for Unicef said: "People who have not been breast fed have a higher risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease." She was speaking on occasion of World Food Day, whose motto is "A healthy diet for a zero hunger world.
On the positive side, undernourishment in the population fell from 24.4% in 2004 to 9.5% in 2018, according to data from the report "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World." There has also been a reduction in chronic child malnutrition now at 7.1% of the child population of under five years of age.
https://portal.onu.org.do/onu-insta...imentos-para-mejorar-niveles-de-malnutricion/
US military ship on medical mission in Santo Domingo
The US hospital ship Military Sealift Command USNS Comfort is offering free medical assistance from 16 to 21 October 2019 in Santo Domingo. The military hospital ship expects to offer more than 500 consultations per day. It will also offer surgical operations.
Defense Minister Lieutenant General Rubén D. Paulino Sem welcomed the hospital ship. Services will be offered in general outpatient surgery, ophthalmic surgery, dermatology, medical evaluation and treatment, preventive medicine, dental examinations and treatments.
The USNS Comfort is the largest of its kind in the world. Staff is offerring medical checkups every day from 8am to 4pm at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center (Volleyball Pavilion) and in Parque del Este (Handball Pavilion). Patients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis.
The ship was previously in the country in 2009 when 11,000 persons were assisted and more than 200 surgeries were performed. The ship was also here in 2015 performing 112 surgeries and assisting 10,289 people.
https://eldia.com.do/buque-hospital-de-estados-unidos-ofrecera-asistencia-medica-gratis/
Chinese national deported to hear charges for murder of two
Chinese citizen Guo Sen Liang Situ (Frank) was deported from the United States. He is accused of murdering two Dominicans in Gascue in the National District in a case involving a debt of RD$13 million he owed. He is accused of contracting two Haitians to kill 55-year old José Silva Fernández and 54-year old Héctor Antonio Méndez Rodríguez. The crime occurred on 13 March 2016.
As reported, both would lend money to casino gamblers. The bodies of the deceased were found buried in an underground parking lot of a highrise under contraction at Arístides Fiallo Cabral 105A in Gascue. The forensic report says the bodies showed brutal wounds.
Guo Seng Lian Situ was arrested by US migration when he attempted to cross the border from Mexico to the United States.
https://eldia.com.do/extraditan-chino-acusado-de-matar-dos-empresarios-en-gascue/
https://listindiario.com/la-republi...o-acusado-de-matar-a-2-prestamistas-en-gascue