2003 – Page 311

Approximately 20,000 individuals have been employed in the nationwide program to enlist residents of the Dominican Republic to the pension plans under the new social security system, which became effective 1 February. Nine pension plan companies (AFPs) have been authorized to sign up the names on company payrolls, as an initial phase of the program. …

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The Ministry of Tourism reports that Dominican hotel companies booked 240,000 travelers for the summer during the Spanish Tourism Fair (Fitur2003) event held in Madrid, Spain. Tourism Minister Rafael Subervi announced new agreements with Agencia Abreu, a leading Portuguese tour operator, for four weekly flights from April to October. Other companies signing on additional travel …

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The Ministry of Industry and Commerce says it will invest RD$200 million this year in the installation of solar panels to reduce the dependency on petroleum imports. According to a report in Diario Libre, the department has already installed solar panel electrification systems in 41 military posts along the border and 29 computer labs in …

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Diario Libre reports that the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate have not been convened to work, despite many important bills pending study in Congress. The Executive Branch extended the duration of the present legislature, but the legislators have given priority to supporting the Dominican team competing in the Caribbean Baseball Series in Puerto Rico. …

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A story in the Sunday Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale, Florida highlights the increasing involvement of Floridian companies in Dominican business. Journalist Doreen Hemlock reports on the Cap Cana Jack Nicklaus golf and hotel facilities being erected on the East Coast, and the University of Central Florida hospitality school, which trains Dominicans in tourism. To …

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Leading executives of Canadian government pro-business and trade organizations are in Santo Domingo for the opening of the First Canada-Dominican Republic Workshop to take place starting at 8 am, Tuesday, 4 February at the Hotel Melia Santo Domingo. The event is being organized by the Dominican-Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Embassy in the …

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Former Vice President Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal has launched his quest for the Partido de la Liberacion Dominicana presidential nomination in the 16 May 2004 elections. Fernandez Mirabal was vice president under the Leonel Fernandez presidency from 1996-2000 and his campaign has the support of the Movimiento Nacional Somos Mas. Leonel Fernandez, however, is the …

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The police placed a permanent vigil at the San Pedro de Macoris Antonio Musa public hospital, where 20-year-old Rosa Mirtha Rosario was interned after suffering serious injuries from being beaten and tortured with an iron, electrical wires and other objects by her boyfriend. The woman was rescued by her neighbor. The man responsible for her …

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The La Vega carnival, perhaps the most colorful carnival of the Caribbean, began on Sunday with the participation of 150 groups and about 1,000 costumed characters parading through the streets of the town. La Vega is situated about one-hour?s distance from Santo Domingo. Each Sunday in February (9, 16, 23 and 27 February), as of …

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Power rates will rise 12 percent in February, meaning that residential consumers will now be billed a fixed charge of RD$5.56, plus RD$2.74 per kWh for the first 300 kilowatt-hours, and RD$3.41 per kWh for all additional kilowatt-hours. The Superintendence of Power Resolution SIE-05-2003, published in newspapers today, also aims the increases at industrial and …

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