Hoy?s ?Que se dice? column today comments on the highway being built towards the south of the Dominican Republic. The new roadway will ostensibly provide safe and rapid service to the area of Bani and points south. Under discussion is whether the route should go through the north of the city of Bani or to the south. The official government plan calls for the road to go to the south of the city, but that area is fairly suburban, and, to a certain degree, developed, including its agriculture. The plan?s detractors say the road would cause many citizens to be displaced. If, however, the road were to go to the north of the town, the effects would be far less. In spite of the solid rejection of the official proposal, based on plans and physical evidence that is in plain sight, the authorities have been tightlipped. The columnist says that perhaps they haven?t said anything because they don?t have any arguments, or worse, they are set on doing things their way and forcing the people of Bani to pay too high a price.
And then there is the ?spark at the end of the tunnel.? The clear moves that AES Dominicana is making with the idea of obtaining fuel for its 510MW of generation ? the most important element in the current energy crisis ? can be interpreted as a sign that the private electric sector has already reached an agreement with the government that takes office on 16 August. AES executives held a meeting with incoming President Fernandez, after which they discussed some general ideas on the financial crisis that is pummeling the sector and exchanged ?make nice? statements of good will. Nevertheless, the decision to renew the purchase of natural gas is the first solid indication that a strategy might have been drawn up that will strive to normalize the electric service in the country, implying a large helping hand from the World Bank to assist the government and the flailing electricity sector.