2000 – Page 121

Hoy newspaper reports that for every automobile in circulation, there are two motorcycles in the DR. 1,693,396 vehicles are registered with the Direccion General de Impuestos Internos. Of these, 59.14% are motorcycles, or 1,001,555 units in circulation. In 1999, 396,263 private vehicles, 191,600 cargo vehicles and 36,998 private buses were registered. Private vehicle ownership grew …

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Central Bank says that accumulated inflation for the first five months of the year was 0.45%. Inflation in May was 0.08%, similar to that of April, according to the Central Bank. Annualized inflation would then be 5.65% (May 1999 to May 2000). Central Bank estimate for year end inflation is 9%, taking into account effects …

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Telecable Nacional, the leading Cable TV company announced that HBO, Cinecanal and Cinemax premium movie channels will no longer be part of cable TV service packages. The company will be charging an additional RD$158 for the premium channels, bringing monthly billing totals to RD$556 or approximately US$35 per month. The increase is effective 3 July, …

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A major private hospital is going up in Santiago, the second largest city in the country. The hospital is slated to be the most modern medical center in the Dominican Republic. It is being promoted as an alternative to having to go abroad for advanced medical care. Several Dominican physicians that work in the US …

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Mariano Germán, a lawyer and former Attorney General, upon taking office as the new chief executive officer at Indotel, reaffirmed he would enforce the rule of the law. Indotel is the government regulatory agency in charge of telecommunications operations in the DR. President Leonel Fernández recently appointed Germán to the post. According to the Telecommunications …

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Did you know Balaguer just bought a new car? Punch line: An ambulance. (Former President Joaquin Balaguer will be 94 years old in September.) Did you know which will be the main dish of the inaugural dinner at the National Palace? Punch line: Pichirrí en salsa blanca. (This is in reference to the comment made …

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The Empresa Distribuidora del Este suspended service to the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finances, General Controllers Office, National Treasury, Internal Revenue, Customs Department and the Radio Televisión Dominicana television station for arrears in payments to the power distributors. The Listin Diario says that over 20 government institutions had their power suspended over the weekend. …

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The Asociación de Industrias y Empresas de Haina, a leading national industrial association, denounced that the unilateral practice of the power distributors to charge based on average consumption and not on real consumption is affecting the profitability of industries. Spokesmen for the organization, Richard Arostegui and Elvin Mella said that many industries have cyclical operations …

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Army general complains traffickers find accomplices in justice Commander of the Second Brigade of Infantry of the Army based in Santiago, Brigade General Jose Almonte Sanchez denounced that persons that have been arrested for smuggling illegal Haitians into the DR are protected by persons that apparently have lots of power to avoid those that are …

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New York organization to assist Haitian sugar cane cutters The Ministry of Public Health signed an agreement with the Batey Relief Alliance non-governmental organization that will channel medical aid for indigent Haitian sugar cane cutters living in sugar cane communities, or bateys. BRA is a New York-based non-governmental organization that was created to help improve …

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