2001 – Page 112

The Mejia administration has announced a RD$4,400 million spending cut from now until December. President Hipolito Mejia said the government would cut spending by RD$135 million in June and July (5%) and by RD$270 million as of August (another 5%). The President announced a commission to supervise the spending cuts made up of the National …

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Eduardo Niño-Moreno, the United Nations representative in the DR, gave a vote of confidence to the economic measures implemented by the Mejia administration. In a visit to the President at the National Palace, he highlighted that despite the recession, the DR continues to post the highest growth rate in the region. He spoke of the …

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Frank Moya Pons, Minister of Environment, defended the military’s participation in Operation Green Lightning which will seek to reduce the depredation of Dominican forests. Local forests are being burned to make charcoal for local use and export to Haiti. Moya Pons said the indiscriminate cutting of trees is a national security concern. He said the …

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Presidente Mejia will travel this month to Puerto Rico to meet with Puerto Rican Governor Sila Calderon. From there, the President will continue on to an important meeting of apparel manufacturers in the state of Colorado, USA. The President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, will attend the same meeting scheduled for 21-23 June, as reported by …

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El Caribe newspaper has revealed the findings of a study on the trafficking of Dominican women. Carried out from 1996 to 2000 by the Ministry of Women and the International Organization for Migration, the study reveals that around 50,000 Dominican women work as prostitutes in the US, Europe, Venezuela, Argentina and the Caribbean. The study …

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The Listin Diario reports that the Peter Anderson survey that tested waters off the southeastern coast of the DR concluded the country needs to invest in more water treatment plants in the area to meet the increasing population. It showed that biological contamination has been going on for years and is moderate, but urges governmental …

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The Dominican Police Chief took a day off from his police work to personally travel to San Juan de la Maguana by helicopter to follow through on “instructions” given by President Hipolito Mejia. In his ironic style, President Mejia had “ordered” Candelier to investigate a claim by a PRD leader in western Las Matas de …

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Edwin Núñez, husband of the 28-year old victim of a police shooting, called for justice yesterday. “I believe that the Police, as an institution, need to give from top to bottom, vertically, more signals that it wants dignity. That it wants zero impunity. When there are gestures, words, messages, actions, the messages are clear in …

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Former Vice President and Senator for Santo Domingo, Jacinto Peynado, said he has decided not to run for mayor of Santo Domingo on the Partido Reformista Social Cristiano (PRSC) ticket in 2002. Peynado is well known in Santo Domingo and is believed to make an excellent candidate. He said he prefers to be a back-up …

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President Hipolito Mejia has ordered the National Budget office to reduce monthly allotments to government departments by 5%. He also urged his ministers and department heads not to make financial commitments that are not covered in the National Budget. And he called upon the departments to reduce their payrolls, power and fuel consumption, telecommunication bills, …

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