2008 – Page 224

Former Central Bank governor Carlos Despradel doesn’t believe that a new fiscal reform, code for tax increase, is the best option for the Dominican government. Despradel believes that the government needs to get a better grip on public spending and do so more efficiently. Despradel feels that in some cases taxes are excessive and added …

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The DR is becoming a world leader in avocado exports. It is currently the seventh largest exporter in the world, according to a report in Hoy. There are an estimated 8,500 avocado producers in the DR, farming more than 350,000 tareas (Dominican local land measurement unit equivalent to 629m2). Avocado plantations could cover 500,000 tareas …

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Probably the first Dominican to publish a tourist guidebook about the DR, 81-year old Luis Augusto Caminero died on Wednesday, 21 May after a long illness. By 1962 he had already published the fifth edition of his book, ‘Things to Know’, focusing on the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, which at the time was considered …

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Yahislin Acosta Abreu has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for the 26 March 2007 murder of Victor Eduardo Rodriguez Bodre. Listin Diario reports that Rodriguez died after Acosta stabbed him several times. Listin also writes that Acosta murdered the man because he was supposedly beating up her best friend Noemi Altagracia Ramirez Rosario, …

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A Dominican man in the US has died after using a natural aphrodisiac known as “La Piedra.” Reports indicate that users should wipe the small rock on the tip of their penis and on no other part of the body. Though details are scarce, Diario Libre reports that the man was admitted to New York …

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According to psychiatrist Jose Miguel Gomez, internet pornography addiction is becoming a big problem in the DR, to the point that he has registered an increase in the number of couples attending his office for counseling. He added that many couples end up getting divorced because of lack of communication and sexual interaction, partly due …

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Expect major traffic jams in the big cities as last minute shoppers hit the stores for Mother’s Day in the Dominican Republic. Mother’s Day falls on the last Sunday in May, or Sunday, 25 May. To attract shoppers, several large departments have been advertising sales. Dominicans take Mother’s Day seriously, with it being together with …

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The National Youth Symphony Orchestra will be performing works by Mozart, Bach and Handel at the lovely 16th Century setting of the Dominican-German Center located in the Colonial City at Isabel La Catolica 212 from 7pm. For more weekend events, see http://www.dr1.com/calendar

The Dominican Republic was admitted to the Pan American Football Federation (PAFAF) at its 2nd Annual Congress in Panama City, Panama, held the 9th of May. The DR will be represented by the Dominican Football League (DFL). The conference focused on the continued growth and development of American football in Latin America. “The main theme …

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The Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Temistocles Montas, has announced that the government has no plans to embark on a new tax reform package in the near future. According to a report in El Nuevo Diario newspaper, Montas said that his office has insisted on improving tax collections and the tax administration apparatus and …

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