2007 – Page 140

Labor Ministers from Central America and the DR have agreed to promote dignified jobs for workers in their respective countries as a way of improving their citizens’ living conditions. The agreement by the labor ministers, the Santo Domingo Declaration, was issued as part of the 24th Regional Conference of Labor Ministers. On Wednesday the Dominican …

Read more…

Treasury Minister Vicente Bengoa says that the DR’s consolidated public debt declined by US$94.2 million in the second quarter of the year, a 1.1% decrease. According to Bengoa, the total national public debt as of 30 June is US$8.33 billion, or 25.4% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

A report by the National Statistics Office (ONE) says that 63.1% of the Dominican population belong to the middle low and low socio-economic groups. Specifically 34.2% of Dominicans are in the low- income bracket and 28.9% are in the middle low- income class. According to the report, 8.6% of the Dominican population belongs to the …

Read more…

The National Population and Family Council (Conapofa) says that 9.3 million people now live in the DR, up from 8.9 million in 2004. In 2008, the population is expected to reach 9.5 million. This means that from 2004 to 2008, there was an increase of 573,484 inhabitants, or a 6.4% increase. Candido Rivera, director of …

Read more…

Optimism seems to be this administration’s greatest strength as Diario Libre reports that the government’s Office for the Reorganization of Transit (OPRET) is planning a radical restructuring of the transport sector. The new plan calls for the gradual elimination of the risky motoconcho (motorcycle taxis) and conchos (shared taxis) throughout the DR. The Office for …

Read more…

Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez says that the DR is in the process of breaking the “sun and sand” tourism mold and working towards a development model consisting of a range of tourism offers, all involving the local community. He foresees new developments in wellness, scuba, golf, hunting, business and cultural tourism. He said that it …

Read more…

William Kaschak, of the USAID-backed Environmental Protection Investment Fund (FIPA) has warned that groundwater resources in the Dominican Republic’s eastern tourism area are showing signs of stress and increased salinity due to extensive urbanization, tourism developments, and the cultivation of sugar cane for ethanol production, as reported in Hoy. He said that this environmental degradation …

Read more…

Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez and Public Health Minister Bautista Rojas Gomez, speaking on yesterday’s Nuria & Huchi afternoon CDN radio talk show, said that the gastroenteritis outbreak at the Bahia Principe Rio San Juan resort is now suspected to have been caused by the rapidly spreading virus known as norovirus, which would probably have been …

Read more…

The PRD opposition party has served President Leonel Fernandez with papers expressing opposition to the signing of legislation that would grant government authorization for the issue of a US$30 million revolving letter of credit for the construction of two coal-fired power plants, as reported in Listin Diario. PRD president Ramon Alburquerque and party secretary Orlando …

Read more…

The National Drug Control department (DNCD) says that so far this year it has closed 16,000 drug sales points nationwide, as reported in Listin Diario. Major General Rafael Radhames Ramirez Ferreira said that drug trafficking transactions are at an all-time low. He said that there is a perception that trafficking is on the rise because …

Read more…