2003 – Page 84

DR1 Daily News will not publish an update tomorrow, Wednesday, 24 September, in view of the national holiday to commemorate the Day of Mercedes, the DR’s patron saint. The news of the day will be compiled for the Thursday, 25 September issue. Those seeking breaking news or updates on Monday’s earthquake can follow postings on …

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The National Wages Committee approved an increase of 25% in the non-sectorized employee minimum wage. The adjustment would come in two parts: 15% effective October, and 10% as of 1 January. This would bring the monthly minimum wage for companies with assets of more than RD$500,000 from RD$3,890 at present to RD$4,475. As of January, …

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President Mejia is in Amsterdam today, where he will be received by Queen Beatrix, who spent last Christmas in the Dominican Republic. El Caribe reports that this visit is the last stop of his tour that began 12 September and on which Mejia was received in Spain, Israel and Jordan. His 24-hour stay in Holland …

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President of the Senate Jesus Vasquez Martinez announced that a US$54-million credit was obtained from Israel for the construction of the Nagua aqueduct in the province of Maria Trinidad Sanchez and that separate funding of US$45 million from Denmark would finance Nagua’s sewage drainage system. The works would be completed over a two-year period, according …

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More than 30 deputies of the southern provinces requested that President Hipolito Mejia rescind the contract signed with the Consorcio Vial Dominicano for the US$85-million construction of the San Cristobal-Bani highway. The concession was signed two years ago with the little-known company and established that the Dominican government awarded the right to collect tolls for …

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Hoy newspaper says that talks are underway for Trinidad to step in and supply the fuel the country needs. Venezuela suspended its petroleum sales to the DR under the cloud of allegations that former Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez is conspiring against President Chavez from Dominican soil. Hoy reports that the president of the Dominican …

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Vice-President Milagros Ortiz Bosch said that the reconstruction of schools affected by yesterday’s earthquake in Puerto Plata would cost more than RD$50 million. She said that 18,000 students are without classrooms due to the damages caused. The schools affected are the Liceo Gregorio Urbano Gilbert (Plan Reforma), Jose Dubeau and the Escuela Virginia Ortea in …

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The Civil Aviation Board reports that operations at Dominican airports are normal. According to Carlos Alvarez Guzman, director of the airports department, both the Cibao and Puerto Plata international airports show primarily minor cracks in the glass of their control towers. The runways were not affected and landing and takeoff operations quickly returned to normal …

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Experts at the Dominican Association for Mitigation of Disasters had been expecting a 7.8 earthquake, prompting the question now of whether yesterday’s 6.5 quake was the one waited for, or if another one could be on its way. Following the initial and largest tremor on Monday at 12:45am, there were aftershocks of 5.1 (1:30am), 4.4 …

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Earthquake specialist and engineer, Rafael Corominas, proposes the construction of a 200-kilometer-long park over areas lying above the Septentrional fault. In an interview with Habitat magazine, Corominas, one of the leading earthquake experts in the DR, urged that Santiago develop the areas south of the Yaque River, moving away from the fault zone. In the …

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