2003 – Page 292

Richard E. Waugh, president of Scotiabank, visited the Dominican Republic last week and met with President Hipolito Mejia. He praised the investment climate in the Dominican Republic and, according to the Listin Diario, encouraged the Dominican authorities to continue with its plan to open the economy. As reported in the Listin, the banker said that …

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DR1 Daily News will not publish an update on Thursday, 27 February, in view of it being a national holiday. Independence Day is celebrated on 27 February to commemorate Dominican freedom from Haiti?s rule, won in 1844. Thursday?s news will be compiled for the Friday, 28 February edition.

President Hipolito Mejia has called for an ?immediate review? of the contracts between the Dominican government and the mining and exploration companies. Mejia says that he feels the different companies have not put enough effort into the fulfillment of their contracts and that a relaunch in the search for alternative energy measures is ?unavoidable?. In …

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The Attorney General of the Dominican Republic, Victor Cespedes, told the press that the country needs laws to crack down on white slavery, prostitution, forced labor and illegal organ trafficking. Cespedes deplores the fact that the country lacks exact numbers on how many women and children are involved in sexual slavery and prostitution and said …

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The lead article in today?s Listin Diario ?El Dinero? section tells how the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic uses preferential exchange rates to finance the government. According to the article, the Central Bank has carried out this practice to the tune of RD$2.6 billion over the past year. According to Pedro Silverio, the head …

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The Superintendent of Power, Julio Cross, announced yesterday afternoon that his office had not been able to reach an agreement with the electric generators and distributors to soften the proposed 20-percent rate increase scheduled for March. Instead, Cross said, his office is working on the factors that affect the indexes used to adjust the electricity …

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Not everyone shares the opinion of the president of the Senate, Andres Bautista Garcia, who justifies the presence of US troops in the Dominican Republic. The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Rafaela Alburquerque (Lila), said she was absolutely against their being here, ?even if they take my visa away.? Bautista Garcia said that there …

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The extent of lobbying that went on to get the Plan Renove contracts moving is slowly coming out in the open, as reported in today?s El Caribe. On one side, there is Angel Rondon, a lobbyist, who purportedly received US$1 million for ?personal services? rendered. On another, there is Sam Goodson, the head of Hyundai …

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The Dominican Conference of Bishops has released its Letter to the Dominican Nation in commemoration of Independence Day. The document is carried in its entirety in the Listin Diario. Among the strongest points made is that corrupt officials be sought out and punished and that severe periodical audits be carried out to achieve this effect. …

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Although the public school teachers? walkout scheduled for yesterday and today in Santiago and Santo Domingo did not have the support of the teachers? union officials, it was effective in Santo Domingo. The unofficial walkout was called to demand pay raises, better working conditions and superior equipment for the schools. Reporters from the Listin Diario …

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