2003 – Page 79

The government announced that it will pay the 13th wage as of 13 December. National Treasurer Pastora Mendez says this means an additional RD$2.3 billion of currency in circulation. Meanwhile, Hoy newspaper’s economic editor, Mario Mendez, points out today that the most intriguing item of the Central Bank report is that which is titled “Others” …

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Canadian t-shirt producer Gildan Activewear has announced plans to build a large knitting plant in the Dominican Republic to expand its existing low-cost manufacturing base in the country. The Montreal-based company announced it had purchased an 18-million square foot tract of land in the DR where it plans to construct a state-of-the-art knitting, bleaching and …

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Imported wine consumption is down 28% so far this year, the spokesman for the Association of Foreign Alcoholic Beverages (Aprobex), Henry Hebrard, told Diario Libre. Wine sales for 2003 are expected to reach 336,000 cases, down from the 463,000 cases consumed in 2002. Hebrard said that many Dominicans are instead purchasing local brands, whose sales …

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Hoy newspaper reports that the builders of two high-rise towers in the vicinity of the Hotel Embajador have the Junta de Vecinos de los Jardines del Embajador, a neighborhood board, out to stop them. In Santo Domingo, neighborhood groups have successfully won many cases in the past. Hoy newspaper denounced yesterday that government officers have …

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Hoy newspaper’s page-two “Que se dice” columnist says that when Bienvenido Brito, the director of the Bienes Nacionales department, allowed the construction of the Adrian Tropical Dominican food restaurant on the former grounds of the state university’s bio-marine center, a dangerous precedent was set. The commentary says that already word is going around that another …

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The final report from the National Emergency Commission (CNE) reveals that Tropical Storm Odette – the atypical storm that occurred after the Atlantic basin’s official hurricane season had ended – caused the death of 10 people and serious injury to 14. Substantial damage was sustained by many farms and crops, electric lines and the dwellings …

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Prevention of dengue and nationwide awareness on how to recognize the sickness and its symptoms has been sorely lacking this year. Dengue is an endemic illness that recurs every year, especially in tropical climates such as that of the Dominican Republic. In the past, the public health department customarily carried out prevention campaigns on an …

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The National Council of Business (CONEP) president, Elena Viyella de Paliza entire keynote speech at the Third National Business Convention appeared in the economic section of El Caribe on Saturday. Her discourse, a resume of the conclusions of the National Business Convention, clearly address what those convened felt were the greatest problems facing the Dominican …

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The National Business Convention, organized by CONEP (the National Business Council), proposed to limit the amount of money given to the political parties and to speed up the budget proposals for September rather than December, among other things. In addition, they entrusted the Senate with the need to elect the Central Electoral Board (JCE) members …

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President Hipolito Mejia promised to maintain the subsidy for home use of propane gas, but at the same time he warned that cars, hotels, restaurants and other major users would face the real price of RD$42.32 per gallon. The Presidential Decree is supposed to be released today.