1998 – Page 16

Vice President Jaime David Fernández Mirabal proposed yesterday that the political parties cease their verbal sparring during the holiday season. He pointed out that traditionally the parties have informally observed a political truce during the holidays. He deplored some of the name-calling prevalent in many recent public statements by politicos. Continue down that road, he …

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Tourism Minister Félix Jiménez yesterday called into question the decision of the Civil Aeronautics Board (JAC) to deny Tower Air’s request for permission to operate flights between Boston, Miami and New York and Puerto Plata, Punta Cana and Santo Domingo. How can the DR invest US$3 million to attract more U.S. tourists to this country, …

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Tourism Minister Félix Jiménez said yesterday that the World Bank is conditioning the January 1999 release of US$10 million of a sanitation loan to the DR to approval by the municipal governments of Cabarete, Las Terrenas, Puerto Plata and Sosúa of their trash collection and sewer services. The US$10 million is the next tranche of …

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Speaking at the 1998 Student Merit awards ceremony held yesterday in the National Palace, President Fernández affirmed that his government will guarantee that all public school students have access to computers and related technological innovations, because "that is what will move us into the 21st Century." He declared that by year-end at least half of …

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The news daily Listin Diario reports that the Chancellery (External Relations Ministry) will propose next Tuesday to the National Trade Negotiations Committee (CNNC) the creation of a new trade coordinating group or body. The CNNC was created by the Fernández Government in February 1997 to coordinate certain trade negotiations. It is composed of the Ministers …

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State Sugar Council (CEA) Director Oscar Santiago Batista told a press conference last night that President Fernández yesterday gave him the checks to pay off CEA debts to workers and plantation owners and make needed repairs to sugar mills. CEA received RD$100 million to pay back wages to sugar workers, some of whom have not …

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The head of the Directorate-General for Internal Revenue (DGII), Juan Hernández, said yesterday that in the next few weeks DGII will begin the process of refunding to exporters the Transfer Tax on Industrial Goods and Services (ITBIS) that they have paid. The Tax Code has said since 1992 that ITBIS paid on goods which are …

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Just one day after a 300 megavolt electricity generation deal was signed by government officials, sources within the Dominican Electricity Corporation (CDE) revealed to the news daily El Siglo that an agreement will be signed in January with Scotia Energy to build a 100 megavolt generation complex. The project had been put to international bid, …

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Six radio stations were unexpectedly closed on Monday on the orders of the President of the National Commission of Public Spectacles and Radiophony’s (CNEPR) Subcommission on Public Spectacles, Juan José Santana Medrano. Santana Medrano claimed that the stations were "illegal." Closed were Bendición FM (95.9), Bomba FM (89.1), Señal FM, Hacienda FM, Máquina FM (94.3) …

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Vice President Jaime David Fernández Mirabal said yesterday that when the UN Development Programme (UNDP) releases its report on poverty in the DR on Friday, it will show that the current government has made progress in combating poverty. The study will demonstrate that while poverty continues in the DR, "things have improved significantly" over the …

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