The Fernández administration Government Council met yesterday and agreed to complete 34 priority works, that call for an investment of more than RD$7,000 million (about US$438 million). The Fernández administration is also giving priority to presenting to the National Congress six bills that will simplify and modernize the tax system. These will simplify business, real estate and inheritance transactions. The government also agreed to make payments of RD$420 million to onion producers, to consolidate its debt with rice producers, and to issue RD$425 million in loans at 16% interest to cacao producers. The government will also make available a RD$800 million Banco de Reservas loan for severance payments to laborers of the State Sugar Council in order to accelerate the privatization of the government sugar consortium. On the list of priorities is the implementation of the program to rebuild and maintain rural roads and complete repairs of bridges affected by Hurricane Georges last year. This project will be implemented with a US$48 million loan from the World Bank. The Council agreed to meet again next week to study the National Budget for year 2000. Priority public works: National District (Santo Domingo): Viaduct, expansion, electrifying, and appraising of the Av. 27 de Febrero corridor. Rehabilitation of the Duarte Bridge. Construction of a bridge parallel to Duarte Bridge. Expansion of the Las Americas Highway. Overpasses of the avenues Kennedy-Lincoln; Lope de Vega-Tiradentes-Kennedy; Ortega y Gasset-Kennedy; and underpass at the Máximo Gómez avenue. Herrera Public Hospital. Elila Mena Music School. Manoguayabo highway. Jacobo Majluta avenue. Drainage tunnel of the Núñez de Cáceres avenue. Several pedestrian bridges. Mauricio Báez project. Supreme Court of Justice building. UASD library. New buildings for Migration and Passport offices. Repairs and remodeling of the El Huacal public offices building. National Archives building. Construction of the Technological Institute of the Americas. Isabela Airport. Roads leading to the Cyberpark. East: Autovía del Este. Repaving and installation of protection barriers, overpasses along the Las Americas Highway. Rebuilding of the Tetelo Vargas Baseball Stadium in San Pedro. Installations for the National Games set for La Romana. Multi-sport facility in Hato Mayor. Sabana de la Mar highway. Higuamo Bridge. Juan Dolio and Guayacanes streets. Bridges destroyed by Hurricane Georges. Rural roads destroyed by Hurricane Georges. Santiago: New aqueduct. Avenida de Circunvalación. Reconstruction of the highway that leads to the free zone. Two bridges over Yaque del Norte River. Estrella Sadhalá viaduct. Three public health clinics Expansion of the Santiago-Navarrette highway. Rehabilitation of the Santiago-San José de las Matas highway. Rehabilitation of the main avenues in Santiago. Other interior: Rehabilitation of the José María Cabral y Báez public hospital. Rehabilitation of the Puerto Plata port. Remodeling of the Cathedral of Puerto Plata. Puerto Plata experimental lyceum. Construction of an overpass at the entrance to Moca. Moca-San Victor, Barranca-Villa Tapia-Salcedo, Las Yayas-Padre las Casas, La Piña-Naranjito-Los Almácigos highways. Remodeling of the Cathedral of San Francisco de Macorís. Streets of Santiago Rodríguez, El Valle, Monte Plata. Branch of the state university in Mao. Cabral-Polo highway in Barahona.
