2004 – Page 14

US Senator Christopher Dodd, who was part of a Peace Corps mission in the Moncion, Monte Cristi in 1966, met yesterday with President Leonel Fernandez at the Presidential Palace. The US legislator pledged his support for the Free Trade Agreement signed with the Dominican Republic when it goes before the US Congress. As reported in …

Read more…

Kindergarten students at 17 schools across the nation will get a quick start on learning in English, as Education Minister Alejandrina German announced that bilingual education will be introduced in certain preschools next September. According to El Caribe, the number of hours of language instruction will be increased in other grades as the program is …

Read more…

Thousands of public school teachers appeared at the Ministry of Education’s promotional event over the weekend, where they were offered loans to purchase computers. Education Minister Alejandrina German was surprised by the massive turnout, saying she was overwhelmed when thousands more turned up, many having come form the interior provinces. Over the weekend, the ministry …

Read more…

The National Center for Tropical Disease Control (Cencet) says the outbreak of malaria in the province of La Altagracia is now under control. From 28 November to 4 December, not one case was reported. The outbreak coincides with Hurricane Jeanne’s passage through the DR in September and an extraordinary boom in local construction as new …

Read more…

The Central Bank’s Consumer Price Index indicates a 1.65% decline in for November, bringing accumulated inflation this year to 30.68%. Diario Libre reports that this is the lowest inflation index decline for any given month in the past 24 years. The drop is attributed to the peso’s appreciation and its effect on the price of …

Read more…

El Caribe newspaper reports today that, according to the budget bill, the country will receive US$1.1 in foreign resources next year, of which 93.5% or US$1.02 billion will go to pay foreign loans. The budget establishes that RD$11.83 billion (approximately US$316 million) will be used to pay the foreign debt, or almost 29% of the …

Read more…

Shortly after Yandra Portela, the president of the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AID), requested a list of the biggest contributors of the 1.5% advance tax from the Department of Taxes (DGII), she received notification from the DGII that she had not paid her taxes. Portela, who solicited these names based on the …

Read more…

Bernardo Vega agrees that to settle the impasse over the FTA, the DR cannot violate what has been agreed to with the IMF, that is, the gradual elimination of tax exemptions over a 13-month period. Vega says the focus needs to be geared towards the FTA and IMF, not FTA at the cost of the …

Read more…

The General Controller’s Office is investigating the whereabouts of a sum of US$25 million that was borrowed by the Dominican government from the Banco de Comercio Exterior de Colombia in the first year of the Mejia government (2000). The loan was made for urban renewal and environmental works in barrios boredering the Ozama and Isabela …

Read more…

Dominican players defeated the Puerto Rican team in the All-Star Game held at Quisqueya Ball Park on Sunday. The DR defeated their opponents 6-5 thanks to the key plays made by Pablo Ozuna. The exciting game ended in the 10th inning when Ozuna hit a single to left field that propelled Wilton Veras to break …

Read more…