DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The 28th Iberoamerican Summit of the Heads of State and Government will session in Santo Domingo on Friday, 24 and Saturday, 25 March 2023. This year’s theme for the 22 nations that will meet in the capital city is “Together for a fair and sustainable Ibero-America.”

Discussions on digital issues such as protection and content, food security and environmental protection are on the agenda. And, while the issue of the situation in Haiti is not on the agenda, it is almost certain that President Abinader will certainly bring this issue up in his bilateral meeting with the different heads of state and governments.

Most of the international community is aware of the chaos in the neighboring country, but the Dominican role in this on-going drama is clearly not understood by most. Issues of the continuing violence inside the country, the massive and illegal...

The Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom signed a Declaration of Intent for defense, security and crisis management cooperation on 16 March 2023.

Foreign Relations Minister Roberto Alvarez, and the ambassador of the United Kingdom Mockbul Ali signed for the two states.

In a press release, the Ministry of Foreign Relations explains that in a first phase, the agreement contemplates that the Dominican government will acquire four advanced generation Agusta Westland (AW169) helicopters, with which it seeks to improve air capacity, security and disaster protection tasks.

Likewise, the exchange of best practices and knowledge in these areas is foreseen, as well as the preparation of programs, projects and specific actions to promote peace, international security, respect for human rights, sustainable development and the strengthening of...

José Ramón Peralta, Gonzalo Castillo and Donald Guerrero / Acento

Former Minister of Hacienda Donald Guerrero, former Minister Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ramon Peralta and former Minister of Public Works and Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) presidential candidate in 2020, Gonzalo Castillo were arrested and are now at the Palacio de Justicia of Ciudad Nueva awaiting pre-trial custody measures.

The investigation has been ongoing for years. The preliminary indictment of the Public Prosecutor’s Office against the defendants is for the association of criminals, embezzlement, a coalition of officials, falsification of public and private documents, bribery and illicit campaign financing on an unprecedented scale, and money laundering, among others.

The Public Prosecutors Office says that the corruption scheme dismantled distracted...

The International Book Fair Santo Domingo 2023 this year is being postponed for August 2023.

The Ministry of Culture announces many innovations and more technology will be used in the 2023 book fair.

The book fair had been held at the Plaza de la Cultura, but in recent years had been moved to the Colonial City. Diario Libre reports it is likely the fair activities will again be centered at the Plaza de la Cultura in 2023.

Read more in Spanish:

• Diario Libre
• El Caribe

Dominican rice growers are hoping government officials will come up with a way to get around opening to tariff-free rice imports. The authorities have set up a working group, Minister of Agriculture Limber Cruz Lopez has met with farmers from the growing regions, and President Abinader has expressed his support.

The DR is a signatory of the DR-CAFTA free trade agreement with the United States that had established zero tariff rice imports would begin in 2025.

Local farmers are concerned they would be affected if US rice competes in price with locally produced rice. Rice is a centerpiece of Dominican farming, and a mainstay for the economies of many provinces in the central Cibao region. The farmers are concerned their livelihoods will be seriously affected now that the deadline is approaching.

Curiously, there was an article in the Diario Libre and the Listin Diario that...

For the past year, the Abinader administration has maintained the price of fuels at the same price it was on 15 March 2022. The government says this has cost well over RD$30 billion.

However, there is some good news. With US oil prices dropping, this past week, the subsidy was the lowest it has ever been, a mere RD$38 million, which, by itself, is a lot of money, but nowhere near the one and two and three billion pesos subsidies that arrived as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Read more in Spanish:

• El Caribe

Several weeks ago, DR1 published a note about a widow that had filed an appeal to receive death benefits and a RD$5,000 pension earned by her late husband. The Constitutional Court in that case ordered the Ministry of Hacienda to pay over RD$2 million to the widow because of a RD$20,000 per day penalty for non-payment applied to the court’s decision since Hacienda did not pay the widow after the initial decision.

In the latest case, the Constitutional Court has ordered Hacienda to pay a man, Wilson Arias, who worked for the Industrias Banilejas (Café Santo Domingo) for 29 years and the company and the employee paid into the Dominican Social Security Institute (now defunct) every month. Sentence TC-0501-19, issued on 2 November of 2019, ordered the payment of the pension owed the worker, and it added a RD$5,000 per day penalty clause to the decision. Since it has been some 943...

Can you imagine a 6.2 square meter house? Students from woodworking, electricity, refrigeration and home decoration at the government’s vocational institute, Infotep Innovation Fair (Innovatep) showed how it can be done.

The Innovatep tiny house has a bathroom, kitchen, bed and closet. It also has solar panels and a refrigerator. The house has a voice-controlled feature for lights and electronics. While the Tiny House is currently the model home, the creators feel that mass production of the unit is possible at prices that range from RD$500,000 to RD$700,000.

Another star of the fair was Rayotep, a 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer that was converted into an EV with zero emissions.

Among the other attractions were artisan bread, candles and an intelligent bag or purse that notifies a person of their ideal weight.

The seniors at the Salesian Polytechnic Institute presented...

Work on the seven-decade-old Duarte Bridge over the Ozama River is supposed to end today, but, just in case the work goes beyond the scheduled end-date, DR1 is publishing the alternate routes to be used to get to and from the capital city to East Santo Domingo. According to some reports the traffic chaos over the weekend was colossal.

Diario Libre has reported the bridge will be opened to vehicular traffic on Monday, 20 March 2023 at 5:30am.

The alternate routes in case the bridge continues closed are: The Juan Bosch bridge with one express lane open in the west to east direction. Those going from the National District towards East Santo Domingo can use the Josefa Brea Avenue to cross the Mella Bridge that will be a one-way (west to east) road. Mexico Avenue can also be used to access this floating bridge. For those going from east to west along the Las Americas...

Diario Libre reports that during almost eleven months of last year, the National Emergency and Security Attention System 911 received 90,219 complaints of noise pollution in Greater Santo Domingo, of which nearly 97 percent, 87,647 cases, correspond to “loud music.”

Entertainment businesses do not adhere to sound rulings, and city area residents must constantly call in to request the sound be lowered. Businesses allow loud music to blast repeatedly from outdoor terraces of the businesses. Occasionally, the calls from the neighbors get the Police to interfere and the businesses lower the music volume.

In the past, 911 would refer noise complaints to the Ministry of Environment. This was a dead end for those who complained because the Ministry of Environment did not have a noise task force to act. Today, 911 is receiving the noise complaints and notifying the noise unit of the National Police...

A teacher who sought to get rid of rats that she had found were damaging books in a public school library abruptly died from the toxic fumes of the poison she used, preliminary reports indicate.

The teacher, 47-year old Guillermina Lemos leaves six orphaned children. She is described as an exemplary teacher and mother. She died on Saturday, 18 March 2023 after inhaling the highly toxic poison she had placed in bread to attract the mice she wanted to eliminate in the Tabara Abajo school where she worked.

Lemos is remembered for her vocation for teaching that made her one of the most beloved teachers at the Liceo Secundario Marino Antonio Geraldo, where she had been working for more than 10 years.

Victor Araujo Cabral, director of the Tabara Abajo educational district confirmed the information to Diario Libre. He said that he had known the teacher for more than 25...

The Dominican Republic is currently amid a serious dry spell, and perhaps even a drought. While it is usually considered normal for there to be little rain during Lent, the weather has been unusually dry. As a result, the water supplies of the two major population centers of the country, Greater Santo Domingo and the region of Santiago de los Caballeros and the central Cibao are facing serious water shortages affecting consumers and farmers.

El Caribe reports that despite the recent rains, the level of the Tavera-Bao reservoir in the Cibao has shown no significant increases, and even worse, last Friday, the water level decreased by 5 cm. While the Tavera-Bao complex has a design capacity of 173 million cubic meters of water, erosion and sedimentation have greatly reduced that number. Even the communities surrounding the reservoir are complaining of a lack of water. Plans have...

In the World Baseball Classic, the USA defeated Cuba 14-2 after a close call against Venezuela 9-7 over the weekend. Homers by Trea Turner, of the Philadelphia Phillies, made the difference in both games.

The USA now awaits the winner of the Mexico vs. Japan game on Monday, 20 March 2023. Both Japan and USA have won WBC titles before. Japan won in 2006 and 2009. The USA is the defending champion, having won the previous 2017 championship.

The playoffs are set for Tuesday, 21 March 2023 in Miami, Florida.

The Dominican Republic and the USA were the two favorites in the championship. The DR did not make it beyond the first round.

The 4-week Covid-19 positivity rate is now at 0.60%, with the 24-hour positivity rate at 0.65%, as per Covid-19 Bulletin #1,095 dated 18 March 2023. The downward trend in cases continues.

The number of Covid-19 registered cases in the Dominican Republic for Bulletin #1,095 was 2, resulting from 308 first time Covid-19 lab tests, and 312 PCR tests. The seven-day average of lab-reported cases is 5.

With very few exceptions, most cases are mild and are treated as a cold at home. The symptoms are a cough, runny nose and fever.

The number of active cases is at 31 for bulletin #1,095. The seven-day active cases average is now 34.

Except in hospitals, every day less people wear facial masks in the Dominican Republic. Nevertheless, in recent days, given the impact of seasonal influenza, people may use face masks as a preventive measure.

As per Bulletin #1,095, with the deadline of 18...

There have been advances in the talks between the Dominican Medical Association (CMD) and the government after President Abinader called in Vice President Raquel Peña to find solutions to the impasses with private health insurance plan managers (ARS).

After the meeting on 15 March 2023, the president of the CMD told the press there have been agreements for improvements in the basic plan coverage, inclusion of people with a mental health condition in medical insurance, and payment of outpatient consultations for the elderly and the equalizing of the rates between the health insurance plan managers (ARS), as reported in Diario Libre.

Diario Libre reports there was a positive feeling to the meeting outcome on Wednesday, as confirmed by Dr. Rufino Senén Caba, president of the CMD. Details of the agreements were not shared.

The parties agreed to meet with Public...

Hoy newspaper carries a letter in which Education Minister Angel Hernandez defends the Ministry of Education’s decision to publish textbooks for the public school students. The Ministry, over the years has been affected by major book scams, many of which were inherited from the previous incumbent. Now the Ministry wants to leave only the printing to the private sector.

Education Minister Angel Hernandez defends that by controlling the editorial process, the Ministry will ensure quality. Billions in savings are also intended.

In a letter to the executive director of Hoy newspaper, Bienvenido Álvarez Vega, Hernandez makes the point that of 21 countries in Ibero America, only four buy textbooks in the open market. They are Spain, Portugal, Mexico and Argentina. Hernandez writes that in the others, the Ministry of Education elaborates and edits them, leaving only the printing...

Edesur Dominicana has recently installed 1,500 LED lights in avenues and streets of the National District, general administrator Milton Morrison told N Digital. The improved lighting contributes to citizen security.

Morrison announced the lighting up of Gustavo Mejía Ricart Avenue, from Gregorio Luperón Avenue to Ortega y Gasset Avenue, about five kilometers. Also, Anacaona Avenue was wholly illuminated with LED lights for the first time, from Gregorio Luperón Avenue to Pedro A. Bobea Avenue.

In addition, Sarasota Avenue, from Núñez de Cáceres Avenue to Abraham Lincoln Avenue, and Rómulo Betancourt Avenue, from Núñez de Cáceres Avenue to Winston Churchill Avenue, are being intervened to improve their lighting, too.

New street lights were placed on Jiménez Moya Avenue, between Salud and Independencia Avenues; from Independencia Avenue between Jiménez...

The president of the Junta de Vecinos de Mano Juan, the main town of Saona Island, Dolores Mota, complained that the Ministry of Environment has forgotten the island. Although it charges for the entry of tourists, local inhabitants complain the Ministry has not invested the funds in the community, potable water services, garbage collection, more medical services or better access to quality education.

Saona Island is the most visited tourist attraction in the country. Yet, the community says that the only support they have received is from the CEPM power company, Hoy reports. The company installed solar-powered capacity to generate 800 kw on the island.

Mota says that they are a depressed community that lives from fishing, coconut cultivation, subsistence agriculture, tourism, and related activities such as food and beverage services, handicrafts, and product sales. Mano Juan...

The Chamber of Deputies voted in favor of the bill that creates government trusts. The Abinader administration has created several trusts and the bill legalizes their status.

The Abinader administration has been pushing the public-private partnerships backing the scheme of private business with significant government support.

PRM Congressmen Amado Díaz, Francisco Solimán and Rosendy Polanco drafted the bill regulating public trust, organization, structure and operation. The trusts are authorized to administer public resources and to foresee, manage and execute works and projects of infrastructure or services of collective interest.

The ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) is a majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate that make up the National Congress. The PRM has the votes to pass any bill that requires simple majority.

Opposition...

The Senate approved on 15 March 2023 the bill that amends the Labor Code to include teleworking as a labor modality in the Dominican Republic. Santiago José Zorrilla and Aris Yván Lorenzo presented the bill.

The bill establishes the inclusion of the productive sectors in the digital economy and the use of technological tools of communication to enhance the generation of jobs, increase the protection of workers’ rights, among other benefits.

The bill now moves on to the Chamber of Deputies for discussions.

Read more in Spanish:

• El Caribe

The Chamber of Deputies the bill that creates the Day and Night Shelter-Center-House for the Elderly in each province of the Dominican Republic.

The homes are to operate as a safekeeping, recreational and geriatric center for the needy elderly and will be funded by the government.

“The law aims to guarantee the fundamental rights of the elderly through the implementation of comprehensive public policies, through their care and protection, safeguarding them from high-risk situations, reaffirming their dignity and guaranteeing the protection of their fundamental rights,” states the first paragraph of the initiative.

The initiative, drafted by Dionisio de la Rosa, now moves to the Senate.

Read more in Spanish:

• Hoy

The Dominican government was awarded a leading telecommunication prize during the World Summit on the Information Society Prizes 2023.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, organizes the event.

The Dominican government won for the “Banda Ancha Para Todos” program implemented by the Indotel. The award was in Category 1 on the role of governments in the promotion of ICTs for country development.

Banda Ancha para Todos is a project in which the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) deployed 1,080 public access WiFi networks across the entire country. Those WiFi were deployed in all public higher education campuses, over 90% of public hospitals, all public transportation systems, public parks and plazas, public offices that offer citizen services, public libraries, among...

Reports are that several inner Colonial City streets are closed off to traffic as part of a major urban renovation program. Programa Integral de Desarrollo Turistico y Urbano de la Ciudad Colonial de Santo Domingo (PIDTUCCSD) says alternate routes should be used.

Renovation works affect Salome Urena (between 19 de Marzo and Jose Reyes), Las Mercedes (from 19 de Marzo to Arzobispo Meriño) and Hostos (from Luperon to Las Mercedes).

Read more Ministry of Tourism

16 March 2023

The sentence execution judges, Richard Henry Berras Reyes for the eastern region, and Joselín Medina Pérez for Barahona in the southwest, have not executed two sentences of the Supreme Court of Justice that order the mayors of La Romana and Jaquimeyes to be sent to jail. N Digital looks into why the sentences are not being implemented despite two months since when they were issued.

On 28 December 2022, the Supreme Court of Justice issued final judgment No.001-022-2022-RECA01002, which sentences the mayor of La Romana, Juan Antonio (Tony) Adames, to two years in prison, but Berras Reyes has still not executed the ruling nor has he ordered the arrest of the mayor.

In the session of the Council of Aldermen of La Romana, to justify the non-suspension of Tony Adames, Judge Berras Reyes was blamed for not playing his role and failing in his duty to duly notify...

Reports are that it rained heavily on Wednesday, 15 March in the central Cibao area. This is good news for farming and for replenishing drinking water sources.

The Weather Office (Onamet) forecasts more rains due to a pre-frontal trough moving south from the Bahamas.

According to the Onamet forecast for Thursday, 16 March 2023, light rains will occur, being moderate to heavy at times in localities of the northwest, north, northeast, border area and center of the country, being the provinces: Monte Cristi, Valverde, Puerto Plata, Espaillat, Hermanas Mirabal, Sanchez Ramirez, Santiago, La Vega provinces in the Cibao.

The weather forecast is especially welcome in the present times of drought.

The arch-rivals Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic filled the loanDepot ballpark in Miami. Both teams were there with heart and soul, and the fans, too.

MLB in its report on the game, stated: “Wednesday’s game between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico lived up to its enormous hype. The level of play on the field was unrivaled. It seems impossible to find another baseball game that had more passion and louder decibel levels coming from the 36,025 fans in the stands.”

Someone had to win and it was Puerto Rico. The game ended 5-2 in favor of Puerto Rico that now moves to the 2023 World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. The injury of Edwin Diaz, playing for Puerto Rico, and who was taken out on a wheelchair, put a damper on Puerto Rican fans’ enthusiasm for the win.

The teams that move on to the quarterfinals in the WBC are:Pool A: Cuba and...

The 4-week Covid-19 positivity rate is now at 0.66%, with the 24-hour positivity rate at 1.47%, as per Covid-19 Bulletin #1,091 dated 14 March 2023. The downward trend in cases continues.

The number of Covid-19 registered cases in the Dominican Republic for Bulletin #1,091 was 8, resulting from 545 first time Covid-19 lab tests, and 15 PCR tests. The seven-day average of lab-reported cases is 7. With very few exceptions, most cases are mild and are treated as a cold at home.

Most people are just seeing Covid as a seasonal cold. The Ministry of Public Health encourages people to get a third, fourth or fifth vaccine that are available for free in the Dominican Republic. The symptoms are a cough, runny nose and fever.

The number of active cases is at 40 for bulletin #1,091. The seven-day active cases average is now 50.

Except in hospitals, every day less people wear facial masks in the...

Long-standing traditional rivals Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are set for a much-anticipated matchup on Wednesday, 15 March 2023. The game will decide who will be the second team to move on in the World Baseball Classic qualifying rounds.

The game is a win-or-go-home situation for each of the two Caribbean rivals that both have won all their games except the games against Venezuela. Venezuela is undefeated in the World Baseball Classic taking place in Miami, Florida, USA.

Both Puerto Rico on Monday and then the Dominican Republic on Tuesday defeated Israel with the same score of 10-0 to reach the final game with standings of 2-1.

The Dominican Republic, Israel, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico are in Pool D.

The 20 teams have been placed in four pools of five teams for the first round of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with each...

When President Luis Abinader chose Sonia Guzman as Dominican ambassador to the United States, for sure he had in mind her experience as the country’s top negotiator for the DR Cafta trade agreement. Guzman was the country’s lead negotiator for the treaty for the Dominican government during the President Hipolito Mejia administration. The extension of protection to rice producers included in the DR Cafta treaty was sure on his mind.

The treaty protects rice producers through 2025. With the deadline encroaching for eliminating all tariffs on rice imports, producers are concerned they will lose local market share to US imports. The Abinader administration understands that the United States subsidizes rice production in the United States, whereby that country has an unfair trading advantage.

President Abinader stated in the 27 February 2023 state of the nation address: “Let it...

The Presidency launched a 360° virtual tour of the Presidential Palace, available online at palacionacional.gob.do or on social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as @PalacioRD.

Administrative Minister of the Presidency, Jose Ignacio Paliza described the virtual tour as an immersive and interactive tool that provides an insider look into the most iconic buildings in Dominican history.

“With the launch of the digital platforms of the National Palace, we seek to highlight the historical and cultural importance of one of the most symbolic works of the country,” said the Administrative Minister of the Presidency. “Technology unites us and allows us to be more competitive every day by opening a window to the world that allows us to show our wealth and heritage,” said Paliza.

The virtual tour is just one of many innovations on the government’s online...

Sigmund Freund of the Private Public Alliance Agency (DGAPP) of the Abinader administration is on a media tour to explain why a public-private alliance should manage the inspection of vehicles in the Dominican Republic. Transit and Transport Institute (Intrant) Law 63-17 orders the inspections but does not create a separate private-public entity. In the past, checks were carried out by a division at the Ministry of Public Works. With time, the inspections were not carried out and the “revista” sticker became a circulation tax.

No one debates the need for inspections to improve road safety. These are intended to remove from circulation the vehicles that are not fit to be on the road. Freund argues that studies show 40% of traffic accidents occur due to vehicle problems related to tires and brakes,” as he told Adalberto Grullón and Millizen Uribe on TeleAntillas’ Uno+Uno talk...

The Ayuntamiento del Distrito Nacional (ADN) announces the new schedule for commuting on the so-called Avenida de la Salud (Paseo Freddy Beras Goico), the tree-studden boulevard that borders the Mirador del Sur Park to the south. The avenue got its name from the thousands that use it for exercising, but was later renamed in honor of TV producer Freddy Beras Goico.

The city government says that the Paseo Freddy Beras Goico is now again open to vehicular trafficThe traffic hours are now: Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm and Monday to Thursday from 9pm to 4am. On weekends the avenue is completely closed to vehicular traffic.

The reopening happened after El Caribe questioned the complete shutdown of the road. This apparently had happened sometime during the Covid-19 pandemic. Residents in neighboring areas have complained that the complete shutdown generated...

Municipal affairs expert, Waldys Taveras considers that the city council in La Romana and Jaquimeyes should swear in the deputy mayors to replace the mayors that have Supreme Court of Justice court prison orders against them. Taveras is president of the Commonwealth of Greater Santo Domingo that operates under the Dominican Municipal League since August 2020. He is a former city councilor.

Mayor Juan Antonio (Tony) Adames of La Romana is sentenced to two years in jail and and Carlos Valentin Bautista to three years in jail.

Taveras stated that there is a situation of complicity of the political parties for allowing the contempt of the Supreme Court of Justice rulings.

“The Dominican justice system is so weak that there is no judge to execute the sentence. If the one who is condemned is an unfortunate person who stole a chicken and is free, he would have been sentenced a...

Several of the top surfers in the North American region are in Cabarete, Puerto Plata for the second edition of the Cabarete Pro, part of the World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series tour. The event is taking place 15 to 19 March 2023. This is an opportunity to experience ideal surf conditions, world-class competition, and the attractions of Cabarete, the water sports beach town par excellence.

As reported, the best WSL QS North American region surfers will be competing at Playa Encuentro, to the west of Cabarete town. Likewise, more than ten local surfers seek points in the qualifying event. The Dominican top three are Manuel Selman, Gianmarco Oliva and Max Self. Manuel Selman won the first edition of the tournament.

The Ministry of Tourism is sponsoring the event as part of its Surf & Wind City Cabarete project that supports the growth of wave and wind sports in the Cabarete...

Dominican Republic’s Deury Corniel was the top qualifier in kite surfing during the qualifying round held in Cabarete Beach in Puerto Plata. Others that qualified were Logan Sutherland (Canada) and Federico Aguilar (Argentina). In the women’s division, Kirstyn Obrien (United Staets), Elena Lengwiler (Canada) and Maria Reis (Brazil) made the cut.

Raul Aguayo, vice president of the Dominican Sailing Federation (Fedovela) stated: “We are very satisfied, because, despite the difficult conditions of swell and wind in Cabarete throughout the competition, we managed to develop eight qualifying rounds that showed that even with the less favorable conditions, the beaches of Cabarete are still the best for kite.”

More than 17 countries and 30 world-class athletes competed in the event organized by the Dominican Sailing Federation.

Read more in...

The 4-week Covid-19 positivity rate is now at 0.61%, with the 24-hour positivity rate at 1.78%, as per Covid-19 Bulletin #1,090 dated 13 March 2023. The downward trend in cases continues.

The number of Covid-19 registered cases in the Dominican Republic for Bulletin #1,090 was 12, resulting from 676 first time Covid-19 lab tests, and 14 PCR tests. The seven-day average of lab-reported cases is 6. With very few exceptions, most cases are mild and are treated as a cold at home.

Most people are just seeing Covid as a seasonal cold. The Ministry of Public Health encourages people to get a third, fourth or fifth vaccine that are available for free in the Dominican Republic. The symptoms are a cough, runny nose and fever.

The number of active cases is at 40 for bulletin #1,090. The seven-day active cases average is now 51.

Except in hospitals, every day less people wear facial masks in the...

President Luis Abinader and cabinet members met the president of the World Bank, David Malpass at the Presidential Palace on 13 March 2023. Abinader said the visit is evidence of the confidence that international organizations have in the Dominican government and its management of the economy.

This is the first time that a World Bank president visits the Dominican Republic.

The Presidency reported that the World Bank has committed to redouble its efforts and expand its portfolio of support to the country in areas of vital importance such as water, health, waste management, land management and modernization of public administration.

Present at the meeting at the Presidential Palace were: Vice President Raquel Peña, Economy Minister Pavel Isa Contreras, Hacienda Minister José Vicente, Presidency Minister Joel Santos, Presidency Administrative Minister José...

With the participation of more than 300 people throughout the week, the presence of 60 Dominican companies and 160 Jamaican companies, Dominican Week in Jamaica took place the last week in February 2023 at the AC Kingston Hotel. The event had an impressive agenda that included high-level political meetings, panels and business rounds, and cultural activities. Dominican ambassador in Jamaica Angie Martinez organized the event for the first time.

The Dominican Embassy took advantage of the occasion to establish the Kingston Dominican Chapter of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce in the Dominican Republic, marking a new milestone in the history of bilateral relations. The Dominican Week included a First Business Forum.

Attending the events for Jamaica were Prime Minister Andrew Holness; Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson Smith; Industry, Trade and...

The media is now covering the gradual but consistent increase in lodging accommodations on Saona Island, the island where Pirates of the Caribbean scenes were filmed. Technically, overnight stays are not allowed, but they are happening. An increase in solar power service bodes for the trend to continue.

Last week, journalists were invited to participate in a Environmental Journalism Workshop, and two dozen journalists were taken by Ecored and the Punta Cana-Macao Energy Consortium to visit Saona Island.

Environmentalist Eleuterio Martinez told El Dia reporters that the law is clear and states that in a scientific reserve-protected area no infrastructures can be built. He said arts and crafts stands are authorized for the Mano Juan local community in Saona, but the law bans lodging facilities. Lodging is only legal in camping facilities.

The local inhabitants complain the hundreds of...

Teodoro Tejada writes in El Dia on major repairs ongoing on the Santiago Bypass (Circunvalación Norte de Santiago). The toll road expedites crossing the second largest city onto northern provinces. He explains the problems and the solutions implemented by the Ministry of Public Works in the Abinader government.

Read more in Spanish:

• El Dia

The Ministry of Public Works is meeting with the contractors of the repairs on the Duarte Bridge over the Ozama River. For several weeks the bridge was closed and contractors worked on the repairs of the bridge joints. But now reporters say the problem is again apparent.

Read more in Spanish:

• Listin Diario

The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) invites the general public to participate in Economic and Financial Week (#sefBCRD) 2023, an educational event held free of charge at the Central Bank auditorium in Santo Domingo and the facilities at the Santiago Regional Office in Santiago. The event is set for Monday, 20 March 2023 to Friday, 24 March 2023. The event coincides with Global Money Week, a global activity organized by the Child & Youth Finance International Foundation.

The Economic and Financial Week is one of the main activities of the BCRD’s institutional social responsibility program, Aula Central for economic and financial education. This year the event is again held in its face-to-face modality after two years of virtuality due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Local banks and financial institutions are also participating...

Nicaragua has lost all three games in the World Baseball Classic. On Monday, Nicaragua lost to the Dominican Republic, 6-1. The game was the first win of the Dominican team that on Saturday had lost 5-1 to Venezuela.

Juan Soto and Manny Machado batted two home runs, meeting local expectations for the All-Stars team. Rafael Devers and Julio Rodríguez also drove in runs for the Dominican team.

On Tuesday, the DR plays Israel as the country seeks its second win in the WBC Then on Wednesday, the DR is set to play Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has also lost to Venezuela. The DR needs to win these two games.

Diario Libre reports that after the cold water bath received following the loss 5-1 to Venezuela in the opener on Saturday, Dominican manager Rodney Linares decided to put Soto at the top of the batting order, something the 24-year-old slugger has only done a couple of times in his...

Tourism Minister David Collado traveled to Berlin, Germany in time for the opening of the Dominican booth at the ITB Travel Fair. Collado spoke of the ongoing efforts to increase the number of travelers from Germany. Once Germans were the number one source of travelers to the Dominican Republic. Today, this source market has been replaced by hundreds of thousands traveling to the country from the United States, Canada and Colombia.

In a survey given to over 11,000 tourist from Germany, over 90% said that they would hop on a plane and come back to the Dominican Republic. In the huge International Tourism Fair underway in Berlin, the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Jacqueline Mora, said that this means “we need more flights from Germany.”

Tourism Minister David Collado signed agreements with Condor airline to guarantee frequency eight weekly flights in the summer and ten during the...

The humpback whales, which have made their way to Samana Bay for untold years to mate and to give birth, are back for the season. They are perhaps the most emotionally charged tourist attraction in the Dominican Republic, and an unforgettable experience. The humpbacks come down from their feeding grounds in the cold waters of the North Atlantic and enjoy the safety of the bay. The Samana peninsula and the eastern portion of the island of Hispaniola protect these magnificent creatures.

Visiting the bay during this time is strictly regulated and supervised. And, there is even a place on the shoreline called the Whale Observation Post, where persons who get very seasick or are pregnant can observe the whales.

Whale Samana takes reservations at 829 470 3671. The cost is around US$70/pp.

Whale-watching season begins 15 January and ends the last week in March every year.

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The Sixth Edition of the PGA event is happening from 20 March until 26 March 2023. Top golfers worldwide are coming to grab a share of the US$3.8 million prize money. And, even more important, the golfers compete for the 300 points that go toward the FedEx Cup at the end of the year.

Puntacana Resort & Club hosts the fifth edition of the Corales Puntacana Championship, set to take place at the Corales Golf Club, part of the resort. The 18-hole course features km of natural cliffs and majestic coralina quarries.

There will be a field of 120 players from 20 countries and a television audience of millions worldwide.

The days of free baggage carts will soon be long past at Las Americas International Airport (AILA-SDQ).

As of 15 March Airport Passenger Service will manage the luggage cart and porter service at the airport. As of April 2023, free luggage carts will no longer be available at Las Americas International Airport.

The agreement improves the working conditions of the baggage handlers who have been offering services at the airport for years. Nearly 200 baggage handlers at the capital city airport (SDQ) will be hired with competitive salaries, medical insurance and other benefits.

The baggage handling company commits to raise the level of services to passengers.

Skykart, the high-quality automated dispenser for the management of baggage carts is being installed. Self-service trolleys will cost RD$150. The porter service will be RD$450.

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