Dolores Vicioso – Page 7253

The Mejia administration has chosen to authorize temporary residency to seven Cubans who sought political asylum last Saturday. They crossed into the DR from Haiti after being shipwrecked enroute to Miami. When the Fernandez government resumed diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1997, the Dominican government began deporting all Cubans who entered illegally. President Mejia alleged …

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The Minister of Public Works said that so far this year he has received less than half of the allotted funds for construction projects. He said this has affected the pace of the works. Of the RD$4,000 million that had been allotted from August 2000 to June of this year, he has only received RD$1,847 …

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The Mejia administration has given the green light to the military to strengthen its riot unit. General Manuel Ernesto Polanco Salvador told El Siglo newspaper that they are reactivating the military police corps to control riots and protests. The battalion existed until the start of the Fernandez administration. The 150 members will be increased to …

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The Army has also purchased from Israel modern electronic equipment worth US$10 million to be installed along the frontier with Haiti. This will permit the Dominican authorities to maintain effective vigilance of the area both day and night. Major General Manuel Polanco Salvador told El Siglo the equipment will be installed in six months. It …

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Major General Polanco Salvador also told El Siglo that the government has entrusted it with the cleanliness and gardening (“ornato”) of the principal avenues of the capital and the highways that lead to the interior of the country. He said the army is now responsible for the Duarte, Las Americas and Sanchez highways. He says …

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The Army will also be in charge of a new program to plant trees throughout the nation. The Army will prepare nurseries with a total production of two million plants. Chief of the Army, Major General Polanco announced that the planting will take place 4, 5 and 6 November with the participation of the military, …

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Cesar Sanchez, administrator of the Dominican Electricity Corporation, told El Siglo newspaper that a single indexed price was established in contracts between the state and the generator companies for fuel used by power plants. He says that this index is based on the most expensive fuel used by the power plants, even if the companies …

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Outspoken economist Andres Dauhajre and Minister of Industry and Commerce Angel Lockward locked horns on a Friday morning talk show, Hola Matina, over the government’s authorization of a 20% increase in consumer power bills. While uninvited, Lockward surprisingly attended the program to dispute Dauhajre who was the scheduled guest. Dauhajre opposes the government decision to …

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Independent economist Jose Luis Aleman warned during a seminar on the sovereign bonds held at the Pontificia Universdad Catolica Madre y Maestra about the lack of tenders and controls on public works that would be built with money from the bond issue. The Jesuit priest who is director of the School of Economics of the …

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Senator Enrique Martinez of the PLD opposes the Senate passing the Sovereign Bonds. He called the mechanism very expensive and lacking transparency. Unlike World Bank and IDB funds, no tenders need to be held and the government can use the bond money to cover its deficit and excessive payroll. “If finally Congress passes the law …

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