2001 – Page 65

El Caribe newspaper reports that the Central Government has borrowed US$65 million from the Central Bank to cover its fiscal deficit (the difference between government receipts and spending). El Caribe says the loan is part of a plan to borrow US$250 million this year from commercial banks. The money would be repaid with the US$500 …

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Economist Jaime Aristy Escuder writes in the Listin Diario that the economic prospects for the country are positive. Aristy believes the nation will end the year with a 3% growth rate. He says that if inflation stays under control, the exchange rate remains stable, and interest rates continue to decline, it is possible that growth …

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Propane gas distributors have increased the price of propane to RD$15.33 and say that as of Monday they will no longer accept the subsidy coupons issued by the government. The National Association of Distributors of Propane Gas say the government owes them RD$140 million for the subsidy program. They say they will go bankrupt if …

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Orlando Gil, El Siglo newspaper’s political columnist, says that former President Balaguer sought to gain politically when he opposed the construction of sports venues for the Pan American Games at Mirador del Este Park. Gil says the plan worked. President Mejia visited Balaguer and shortly after the president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Ramon …

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President Hipolito Mejia met with union leader Juan Hubieres to hear the latter’s complaints as to widespread corruption in Plan Renove, the government’s plan to improve transport. Hubieres, as reported in El Caribe, criticized the purchase of 886 microbuses from CCL Peninsular, which he says is owned by Mimilo Jimenez, son of Ramon Emilio Jimenez, …

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El Siglo reports that the new Metropolitan Transport Authority program to institute alternate days for multi-fare taxis, or conchos, is working well on four test routes. The newspaper interviewed the taxi drivers who concurred that bottlenecks have diminished and they were making more money. The four test routes are Nueve-Doce, Nueve-Buenos Aires, Nueve-Caoba and Nueve-Los …

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Rafaelina Brito Taveras confessed that she kidnapped herself to resolve family differences. “My family is having serious problems and I had the bad idea of kidnapping myself to try to unite the family,” she explained. Her supposed kidnappers requested a ransom of RD$100,000. She said she had plans to go home when she was found …

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The National Police announced that Sargeant Agapito Manzueta de la Cruz, accused of murdering a drunk handcuffed man last Sunday, has been fired from the service and sent to the public justice system. A police committee confirmed a story published on Monday in El Siglo newspaper.

Murder has been ruled out in the case of 33-year-old Oscar Lachapelle Suero, son of the director of the National Drug Control Department (DNCD). Lachapelle was diabetic. The body was found on Monday at around 7 am in the parking lot of the Presidential Military Aides Corps used by DNCD officers. Pathology reports say he …

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The government medicine distribution program known as Promese announced that it is restocking public hospital pharmacies nationwide with the most requested low cost drugs. 800 pharmacies are being restocked.