2003 – Page 277

The highway patrol arrested 65 drivers for illegal transit on prohibited roads over the holiday weekend of 21 January and 28 people were arrested for speeding on the highways. From 19 to 25 January, the Highway patrol handed out 547 citations: 103 for speeding, 41 for license plate infractions, and 68 for missing lights ? …

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In a study circulating within the banking community, money exchange is shown to be one of the most profitable businesses in the country. Last year, according to the study, the exchange sector showed profits of RD$2.8 billion. The hard currency markets, controlled by a handful of individuals, manipulated over US$4 billion last year. Not taking …

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El Caribe newspaper headlines a 12-percent price hike for the coming month. This new rise in electricity is due to the upswing in oil prices, the fluctuation of exchange rates, and inflation, and users at the 500kWh-level can expect to see a monthly increase of RD$165. In a related story, the Department for Consumer Protection …

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Haiti received US$100.2 million in Dominican exports in 2002, at an increase of 26.2 percent, and leaving them third in line, behind the United States and Puerto Rico. The most significant products exported to Haiti included construction materials, such as cement and re-bar, red wine, and flour. Eggs, however, were the leading Dominican export to …

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The price of propane gas was up again last week, soaring to an all-time high of RD$541.35 per tank. This represents an increase of almost RD$50 over the past two weeks and is sparking concern over deforestation. Previous governments had subsidized cooking gas to discourage the use of charcoal as a cheaper alternative. Nevertheless, President …

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President Hipolito Mejia announced that the government will borrow US$50 million to cover the cost of asphalt needed for the Pan American Games and other public works. The Dominican Republic normally sources its asphalt from Venezuela, but due to the current political turmoil in that country, suppliers have not been able to dispatch the material. …

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The Dominican Center for the Promotion of Exports (Cedopex) reports that Dominican exports were up by 3.6 percent in 2002, with a total value of US$3.8 billion for the year. Free zone exports account for three quarters of that total, representing a value of US$2.5 billion and a decline from the previous year of 1.5 …

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The Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones (AFP), or pension fund management companies, as of Saturday, 1 February, will seek to register contributors among the 1.2 million individuals employed in the private and public sectors. The Superintendence of Pension Plans will oversee the implementation of the new social security system and President Hipolito Mejia said yesterday …

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The Department of Migration announced that in the last quarter it has disbanded 13 gangs involved in the trafficking of Chinese citizens, using Haiti, the DR, the US and Puerto Rico as their gateways. He said that the smugglers used hotels, restaurants and nail salons in Santiago, Boca Chica and San Pedro de Macoris as …

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The Oficina Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses (OMSA) has suspended most of its services in Santo Domingo and Santiago because of credit problems. The corporation, under former president of the infamous trucking union, Diogenes Castillo, reportedly holds a debt of RD$200 million to its suppliers, who have cut credit. Luis Ernesto Perez Cuevas, director of …

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