2001 – Page 154

The Ministers of Environment and the Armed Forces, Frank Moya Pons and Jose Miguel Soto Jimenez, have joined forces to preserve the ecology. Moya said the military will work to preserve the boundaries of the national parks which are subject to trespassers and squatters. Moya said the defense of the environment and natural resources is …

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A Senate report prepared by economic advisor Pedro Casals Victoria says that the assets of the CDE were undervalued by RD$35,000 million for the privatization of the generation and distribution of power. The report questions whether the US$643 million payment from these private companies ever entered the DR. The Senate allegation comes at a time …

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Ignacio de Alvaro Gonzalez, spokesman for Edenorte and Edesur, the two Union Fenosa power distributors, says that the companies won a fair and transparent tender to privatize a bankrupt company. He defended the operation saying that since starting operation in August 1999, the companies have lost US$234 million, or an average of US$14 million a …

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Customs Director Vicente Sanchez Baret cancelled the new ruling by which exporters had to report the contents of shipments 48 hours in advance. The measure was protested by exporters who saw it as another obstacle to their work. Upon making the announcement, Sanchez Baret said the measure was eliminated to expedite exports.

Angel Lockward, Minister of Industry and Commerce and the head of trade negotiations, has announced conversations are being held that could lead to the signing of a free trade agreement with Mexico and the United States. He said President Vicente Fox of Mexico and Hipolito Mejia of the DR will soon announce the start of …

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National Budget director, Luis Ernesto Perez Cuevas, said that government revenues were up 20% in the first trimester of the year. He confirmed that the approximately RD$13,000 million in revenues is about 5% less than what was estimated in the budget.

A group of small businessmen wants to hear the opinion of the Supreme Court on the new 1.5% tax on gross sales. The members of the Camara de Comercio de la Pequeña Empresa in Sabana Perdida, a low-income middle class neighborhood outside of Santo Domingo, dispute the legality of the tax contained in Law 147-00 …

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President Hipolito Mejia justified the creation of new government jobs on the grounds that the privatization of public enterprises eliminated thousands of job opportunities. President Mejia denies the increase in government employees. "No, there has not been an increase. Everything has gone as planned," he said. But he explained, "Since we don’t have the Dominican …

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El Caribe newspaper points out that public investment has dropped 25% in the first two months of the year compared with the same period last year. The newspaper also says that in January 2001 there were 20% more government employees than in July 2000. Last year, capital expenditures were 24% of the budget. During the …

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