1999 – Page 170

In a letter addressed to Senate President Ramón Alburquerque (PRD-Monte Plata), President Fernández formally requests Senate approval of five international loans he characterizes as "high priority" for the nation. Although dated April 22nd, the existence of the letter was not revealed until it was read aloud yesterday in the Senate. The five loans singled out …

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The Senate yesterday officially notified the head of the PRSC, ex-President Dr. Joaquín Balaguer, that it will only consider his party’s list of three candidates for the currently vacant Altagracia Province seat in the Senate when the list is no longer headed by a sitting Federal Deputy. That is to say, the PRSC’s top choice, …

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On Monday evening Costa Rica became the first nation to ratify the free trade agreement (FTA) between the Dominican Republic and the five member countries of the Central American common market (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua). Yesterday a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Frederic Emán Zadé, revealed that Nicaragua recently informally notified the DR …

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The Foreign Ministry yesterday opened a formal two-day meeting with the ambassadors of the six countries (Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela) which have indicated an interest in negotiating FTAs with the Dominican Republic. The meeting is being at the Central Bank and is presided over by Maribel Gassó, the President’s chief trade advisor. Yesterday …

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Just 24 hours after his colleague was declaring that there "no turning back" on the decision to move the airport at Herrera to Higüero, the President of the Airport Commission, Rafael Serrano, yesterday said that arrangements to locate the airport in Higüero actually have not been finalized yet. Monday the Executive Director of the Airport …

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The Director of the National Environmental Protection Institute (INPRA), has proposed that a special "rescue council" be created to clean up the increasingly contaminated Ozama River. Zoila González suggested that the council include INPRA, the Santo Domingo government, the National Council for Municipal Affairs (CONAU) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that work in the areas surrounding …

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The news daily Listin Diario reports that a government document it has acquired shows a longer list of government charges of contract violations against Mundogas than has been previously aired. According to Listin, the government document lists several violations, including: (1) noncompliance with Law 520 requiring liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) being marketed to have a …

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The National Symphony Orchestra will be presenting this evening at the National Theater the second concert of the second part of the National Symphony Season. Felix Carrasco will be conducting the National Symphony and Matthew Scheffelman, corno, is the invited performer. They will perform "Revueltas" by Sensemayá, Mozart’s Concerto No. 4 for corno and orchestra …

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Miguel Valenzuela, sub-Secretary-General and finance chief of the prior LMD administration headed by Julio Maríñez Rosario (PRD), yesterday roundly denied that any motor vehicles were illegally appropriated from the LMD pool during his Administration. Yesterday the Republic’s Controller-General announced that an audit conducted by his office found 20 vehicles procured during the Maríñez administration missing …

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The International Book Fair continues in Santo Domingo through 2 May. The event, described as the most important cultural event of the year, is held on the grounds of the National Music Conservatory, at Alma Mater and Cesar Nicolas Penson streets. The fair is dedicated to Dominican national poet, Pedro Mir and to Mexico. This …

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