2004 – Page 125

The RD$6 decline in the price of a dollar over the past six weeks has not been felt by consumers. This phenomenon, closely examined by many economists, means that although their currency has appreciated, consumers must still face prices that seem rise every day and whose increases are always attributed to the cost of dollars. …

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Electric service crumbled over the weekend in Santiago and most of the Cibao Valley, in which some of the towns in this area known as the heartland of the Dominican Republic were without power for the entire weekend as the result of major generator shutdowns within the national electric grid. Smith-Enron, which supplies power to …

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With public hospital medics on strike indefinitely, demanding wage increases and adequate supplies to serve their patients, the emergency wards at these facilities are brimming with people seeking medical attention. Listin Diario reported on Sunday that the situation was critical in the La Altagracia Maternity ward, the country?s main public maternity hospital, where patients requiring …

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The Dominican Air Force has just received four new helicopters of a group of 12 purchased with a US$72-million loan contracted by the Dominican Air Force. The UH1-2, UH-58 and two Shweizer helicopters were received yesterday by the chief of the Air Force, Mayor General Virgilio Sierra Perez, as reported in Hoy. The loan was …

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An addendum sent to the president of the Senate on 8 July would reform the previously submitted Sectoral Bill on Protected Areas. This supplement would remove 53.5 kilometers of National Jaragua Park beach land, including Bahia de las Aguilas, for its conversion into what is called a National Recreational Area, a category such as that …

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The World Bank says that the water of the Dominican Republic is not drinkable. The report titled ?Environmental priorities and strategic options; Environmental analysis of the country? also criticizes the fact that tourism policies have been directed towards getting more tourists, with little regard made for the natural resources needed. The World Bank says that …

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The president of the Santo Domingo Association of Hotels, Robert Grisi, said that tourism to the city of Santo Domingo generates more than US$330 million a year. This is the result of 240,000 visitors, according to Grisi, which makes up 9% of the total flow of visitors to the DR during the year. ?Visitors to …

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Over the past 10 years, Dominicans living abroad have sent home a total of US$14.6 billion in remittances, equal to 8% of the GDP. A Central Bank communique said that this was the country?s second largest source of hard currency, after tourism. Statistics by the IDB place the Dominican Republic in fifth place in Latin …

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So far this year there have been at least 74 deaths in the Mona Passage that connects the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and which is used as a highway for illegal immigrants. Last week, 18 people died as the small boat they were traveling in capsized off the coast of a small island. US …

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Judo athlete Jose Vicbart Geraldino scored a gold medal for Dominican athletes, and a point against corruption in sports. On Friday, the Dominican Olympic Committee (COD) announced the suspension of Jaime Casanova, the president of the Judo Federation, from his post as treasurer of the COD after irrefutable evidence presented by Vicbart?s lawyers demonstrated irregularities …

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