2005 – Page 103

President Leonel Fernandez recently announced that the government would be issuing a decree requiring tenders for the construction of all public works and contracting, especially for the Ministry of Public Works. The Coalition for Transparency has campaigned for this to be introduced. Ditto the Citizens Forum (Foro Ciudadano) and the recently established National Commission for …

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President Leonel Fernandez has sent a contract to the Senate whereby the government would sell the Sans Souci area and its environs to a private company for the development of a sea-fronting real estate project. The company, Constructora Inversiones Turisticas Sans Souci, represented by Lisandro Macarulla, was handpicked by the government for the private development. …

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There will be no savings in the Fernandez government negotiation of the Union Fenosa debt, according to research by the Energy Commission of the PRD, which says that once interest payments are added on the country will end up paying a similar amount over ten years to what the former Mejia administration had already negotiated, …

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The International Monetary Fund has a team in the Dominican Republic to review the progress of the stand-by arrangement. The two-week long visit includes looking into the 2006 projections for Dominican economic recovery. According to Listin Diario, the team has found some positive aspects, but they are expressing concern about the real possibility that the …

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While the IMF teams are looking over the books, the electricity distributors are asking the Government for an additional US$116 million in order to complete the electricity subsidy. This would be in addition to the US$350 million already on the table and approved by the IMF. Rising oil prices are given as the basis for …

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The Ministry of Foreign Relations has revoked the official passports granted to spouses and children of aldermen nationwide. Diario Libre reported that at least 15 aldermen from southwestern provinces are under investigation and suspect of selling passports for RD$150,000-RD$200,000 to 20 women that have traveled to Europe over the past three weeks. The authorities at …

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The insurance industry, represented by the Dominican Chamber of Brokers (CADOAR) has flatly rejected the proposal put forward by several senators that would place a consumer tax on insurance. The CADOAR spokesperson said that this sort of tax would be a “very hard blow to the sector” since they were in a shrinking market that …

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The transport unions have announced a fare hike of between RD$3.00 or RD$4.00, depending on the route. Only the government-supported OMSA has said that they would keep bus fares at RD$5.00 and RD$10.00. The rising cost of diesel fuel was given as the reason for the price increases. All buses belonging to the CONATRA, CNTU …

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The personal fortune of leading transport union director, Antonio Marte is at RD$113 million, according to a credit report filed on occasion of ongoing investigations to prepare the Plan Renove court case. Diario Libre reported that the money is in savings accounts, savings certificates, and term deposits. Furthermore, the Confederacion Nacional del Transporte (CONATRA) that …

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The small town of Tamboril, a center for tobacco processing and cigar manufacturing 15 kilometers east of Santiago de los Caballeros, was hit hard by a flash flood caused by torrential rainfall last Monday. According to newspaper accounts, the rain started at 5:30 in the afternoon, and at 6 pm, dogs started barking as if …

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