2003 – Page 24

The National Choir and the National Symphony Orchestra announce presentations to bring the Christmas spirit to all. The opening performance is scheduled for 4 December at the Patronato de la Ciudad Colonial, Palacio Borgella, facing Columbus Park in the Colonial City. A performance of the Ars Nova chamber of orchestra with the participation of soloist …

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Hoy newspaper reports that Mining Director Pedro Vasquez Chavez says the Dominican government has not reached any conclusive decision on the terms of a deal with the Toronto-based Canadian company Unigold. Yesterday, it was reported that the government had offered Unigold the advance sale of revenues derived from the exploitation of the Pueblo Viejo gold …

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Diario Libre reports today that the government and business sector have differing opinions over the penalization of the productive sector by more taxes. At the start of the Mejia government, a fiscal reform was carried out that virtually doubled taxation on the private sector. Subsequent additional taxes have since been levied on businesses. According to …

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Propane gas used for cooking and public transportation has become harder to find at the distributors’ sites. El Caribe says there is no short-term solution at hand, as the government has accumulated a large tab with importers. The government has been subsidizing the cost of fuel, keeping it at RD$25 per gallon, while other fuel …

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The appointment of Franklin Frias as director of informatics was confirmed yesterday by the Central Electoral Board (JCE), the body in charge of organizing the 2004 presidential election. At the same time, the JCE judges appointed engineer Miguel Angel Garcia as general administrator of the informatics department. The decision was made after the follow-up commission, …

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Rafael (Fello) Subervi, the former Tourism Minister who aspires to become the PRD presidential candidate for the 16 May 2004 election, said yesterday that President Hipolito Mejia would only be able to win the PRD party nomination through fraud. Subervi’s wife, current Tourism Minister Miguelina Ortiz, said on the Julio Hazim TV program this morning …

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El Caribe newspaper points out that an estimated extra RD$4 billion will be in circulation this month due to the 13th wage paid to public and private employees on occasion of the Christmas bonus (“regalia”). This amounts to an estimated payout of RD$2 billion for the government payroll and approximately RD$2 billion for private businesses. …

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A business mission from the Republic of China is on the island to study the Dominican market. The mission visited the Listin Diario newspaper and said they are interested in investing in banking, power, ports, telecommunications and the construction of highways and railroads, according to Liu Linlin, director of the Department for American Affairs of …

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Listin Diario reports that Dominicans are drinking much less whisky. Whisky importer Diageo Dominicano, which represents the Johnny Walker brand, says there has been an overall 40% decline in sales compared to those in 2002. He says that consumers have lately opted for cheaper alcoholic beverages and criticized the fact that such increasing costs are …

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The case of the murder of Jose Castro in a household mutiny continues to make headlines. Castro died of gunshot wounds at the hands of his domestic help, in a plot hatched by Castro’s wife, Miriam Brito, and his two teenage sons. The construction material entrepreneur was known for his brutal treatment of his family. …

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