2007 – Page 15

Tropical Storm Olga did not realize that the hurricane season had ended on 30 November, and came at the Dominican Republic with torrential rains and strong gusts of wind. The Emergency Operations Committee (COE) reports in its first bulletin on the storm that 6,000 persons were evacuated and 24,595 persons had to be relocated due …

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International airports operated as normal during and after the passing of Tropical Storm Olga, with the exception of Puerto Plata’s International Airport where three flights after 11pm had to be cancelled due to the high winds. Airport operations resumed in the early morning. Some damage is reported to on the beach storefronts in Cabarete, on …

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The Ministry of Education has ordered all schools to close for an “indefinite” period due to Tropical Storm Olga. Deputy Education Minister Fausto Mota Garcia told reporters that he was following orders from Minister Alejandrina German, who was in Argentina yesterday. Students taking final exams were advised not to worry, as the exams will be …

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The government and the International Monetary Fund have reached an agreement on their positions on the 2008 budget. A major part of the agreement was to increase the funding of subsidies (propane and electricity) to RD$26.0 billion pesos. According to the Minister of Hacienda, Vincente Bengoa, the IMF disagreed with the appropriations that the government …

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While the Dominican economy has grown by 8% during the current year, according to Temistocles Montas, the Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, there has been little growth in the manufacturing or business sector. The conclusion was presented by Lisandro Macarrulla, the head of Private Business Council CONEP, and economists Jose Luis de Ramon and …

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The Transport Reorganization Office (OPRET) has handed over the plans for much of the new Metro system to journalist Huchi Lora. During a ceremony held at Lora’s residence, lawyers and OPRET officials signed over the plans (seven boxes, models and bound documents). Dominican Journalists Association president Mercedes Castillo, lawyer Laura Acosta, and Huchi Lora’s daughter …

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The Chamber of Deputies has approved the proposed legislation to give all government employees a 14th check in June 2008. The idea is to help pay for the cost of their children’s school supplies for the 2008-2009 academic year. Some modifications were made to the original bill. Instead of full salaries being paid to high-ranking …

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The Institutionalism and Justice Foundation (Finjus) has called on the Executive Branch to put an end to the policy of providing legislators with their infamous “little barrels”, a sum of money deposited for their exclusive use to help their communities. The so-called Legislative Social Fund has received harsh criticism from all sides since the monies …

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Paul Robert (Bob) Fannin, a Phoenix lawyer, arrives in the DR tomorrow and will present credentials to President Leonel Fernandez as the new United States ambassador. According to Diario Libre, Fannin will arrive on a private jet, and will hold his first press conference after the presentation ceremony at the Presidential Palace. Since the departure …

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The on-going battle between Santo Domingo Mayor Roberto Salcedo and the Impacto Urbano publicity company continues. The chief magistrate of the Tax and Administrative Contentious Court in Santo Domingo, Sara Henriquez Marin, ordered a halt to all removals of signs belonging to Impacto Urbano. The court accepted a request to cease and desist, filed last …

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