2008 – Page 179

Business groups had initially recommended the government remove subsidies in order to reduce its spending. But, instead, the government has chosen to increase these. So now, industry leaders are calling for the government to spread the diesel subsidy program to include them, too. They base their plea on the fact that industry is a productive …

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The agreement between the government and the transport syndicates doesn’t help the average housewife or job holder at all, because the recent increases in fares and freight rates were not rescinded in the wake of the agreement. So the bus owners and truck owners get cheaper fuels but the fares stay high, as if the …

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Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez was elected to head the Dominican Council of Bishops this past week during the 46th General Assembly of the Council of Bishops. Lopez Rodriguez will follow Santiago’s archbishop Ramon de la Rosa y Carpio as head of the council. Joining the cardinal on the council will be Higuey’s Archbishop, …

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Local meteorological officials say that Hurricane Bertha, way out in the Atlantic, does not present any danger to the Dominican Republic. However, a tropical wave will bring heavy rains to the area over the next 24 hours. At the same time, the National Meteorological Office (Onamet) will be keeping an eye on Bertha, since hurricanes …

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The General Assembly of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) elected Dr. Bernarda Jimenez, a Dominican immigrant, to the post of secretary general for immigrant affairs. This is the first time that an immigrant has held an executive position in a Spanish political party. She was presented to the press by vice secretary general of …

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A total of eleven Dominicans will probably see action in this year’s All Star Game that will be played in the “House that Ruth Built”: Yankee Stadium. This marks the sixth time that the country has been represented by at least ten players in the mid-summer spectacle. The list is headed by Alex Rodriguez of …

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Government and transporters signed an agreement yesterday temporarily putting an end to the rift between both sides. The agreement once again grants numerous concessions and benefits to the transport unions that control public transport in the country. The transporters had been threatening to considerably raise fares in response to the spiral in fuel prices and …

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Mercedes Benz Brazil has begun to penalize the Dominican government for delays in issuing a line of credit that would facilitate the dispatching of the shipment of 125 Mercedes Benz buses of a total of 300 that had been contracted for use in the OMSA government bus service. The original bidding for the contract, which …

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Developments in the Chevron fuel transport conflict are cause for concern at some of the nation’s airports. Airport Department director Andres Vanderhorst says that the fuel transporter’s boycott is beginning to affect airports. Listin Diario reports that yesterday drivers stationed their vehicles at the entrance of the Chevron refinery in Haina impeding entrance or exit …

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512 families, victims of Tropical Storm Olga in November 2007, will soon be able to move into new homes in the Villa Liberacion neighborhood in Santiago from President Leonel Fernandez. The project is located in La Herradura section of Santiago and was built at a cost of RD$377 million. There are 32 buildings with 16 …

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