2004 – Page 107

Are the new highs on the world oil market being taken into account by the authors of the new tax reforms? Mario Mendez, the economic editor of Hoy, wonders today what effects oil at US$45 a barrel on the New York Commodity Exchange will have. According to the editor, the new oil prices are causing …

Read more…

The Dominican Refinery unloaded 2.8 million gallons of propane gas yesterday and has on order another 1.8 million gallons to be delivered as soon as the refinery has room for it. This will help abate the current crunch in the local market since the Refinery does not have the storage capacity to completely satisfy the …

Read more…

The entire Dominican Republic was blacked out yesterday, a fact that again made front-page news in all the papers. At 3pm yesterday, all formal electricity service ceased to flow across the entire nation. According to Superintendent of Electricity George Reinoso, the system was still recovering from the previous two blackouts that had occurred the day …

Read more…

Superintendent of Power George Reinoso said yesterday in a press conference that the new government will receive the electric sector owing arrears of US$368.6 million (as of 31 May) to the power companies. This is in addition to the hundreds of millions more the government assumed in debt when it bought back the bankrupt Union …

Read more…

Contrary to what had been predicted, today?s newspapers report on the rescue of more than 30 survivors from the small boat that left with 80 travelers bound for Puerto Rico. The boat was spotted near the Poza de Bojolo off the North Coast of the Samana Peninsula, near the city of Nagua. El Caribe says …

Read more…

Telemicro Channel 5 and Digital 15 will be broadcasting the Olympic Games in the Dominican Republic. Ildefonso Urena, the spokesman for the stations, said the coverage will follow the Dominican performances in the Games. Dominican athletes are competing in nine events ? track and field, boxing, judo, table tennis, wrestling, weight lifting, shooting, tae kwon …

Read more…

On his third attempt, Marcos Diaz successfully crossed the cold waters of the 30-40 mile English Channel/Canal de La Mancha (14-16 degrees Celsius) between England and France. With a Channel Crossings Association official time of 9 hours and 56 minutes, the long-distance swimmer becomes the first Dominican to make such a claim. Of his feat, …

Read more…

President Hipolito Mejia signed into law the Law for Free Access to Public Information on 28 July. The legislation, as presented by Senator Jose Tomas Perez (PLD-National District), establishes a penalty of 30% of the salary of any government officer who does not comply with an information request. Several exceptions apply, such as in case …

Read more…

The Coalition for the Defense of Protected Areas and dozens of citizens presented the Supreme Court of Justice with a recourse to declare the Sectoral Protected Areas Law No. 202-04 in violation of the Constitution. The coalition says the bill, which seeks to remove the protected status from certain areas of land, violates articles 3, …

Read more…

Dr William Jana Tactuk, the director of the Dominican Institute of Social Security (IDSS), says that individuals at the Finance Ministry are demanding he deliver 20% of the RD$100-million allotment that President Hipolito Mejia authorized to pay the wages of IDSS physicians and employees. Jana, who has been at the helm of the IDSS since …

Read more…