2005 – Page 194

President Leonel Fernandez was present for the re-launching of the construction of the Santo Domingo-Samana highway. The government has committed to complete the initial 13-kilometer stretch to Monte Plata. The highway was begun in the past Fernandez administration, following a concession granted to Autopista del Nordeste, the same Colombian-Dominican company that has resumed the construction. …

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El Caribe newspaper reported on Friday on the free hand exercised in choosing the decoration and furnishings for the new Supreme Court of Justice and Attorney General offices, shortly after President Leonel Fernandez had called for austerity in government spending in his inaugural speech. Imported curtains were among the expensive items chosen by the decorating …

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Friday’s Diario Libre analyzed the slippery cost of government works. The newspaper looked into the completion cost compared to the original budgeted cost of Supreme Court of Justice – RD$1.1 (from RD$150 million); the Juan Bosch Bridge RD$618 million (from RD$430 million), Duarte Highway RD$6 billion (from RD$180 million), Avenida del Puerto RD$570 million (from …

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Ricardo Ripoll, spokesman for Cabarete community groups, announced the start of legal proceedings against Hotel Hideaway Beach that is located halfway between Sosua and Cabarete for the closing of a public access road to Playa El Encuentro, the country’s most popular surfer beach. Ripoll said they have contracted lawyers Floiran Tavares and Maria Terrot to …

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Franco Uccelli of Bear Stearns writes in the Emerging Markets Sovereign Journal Weekly 29 April 2005 report: “The Dominican government’s reporting of 4% real GDP growth for the first quarter of this year has generated numerous responses from individuals and private sector groups who believe that the number is inflated and that the economy does …

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Frnaco Uccelli of Bear Stearns is optimistic about the DR. “The Dominican economy managed to defy all expectations and expand by a better-than-expected 4%, leading the government to suggest that growth for the year should come in close to that level, rather than the original 2.5% level projected in mid-January. All in all, positive fiscal …

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Former President Hipolito Mejia has been summoned to testify in the libel case placed by former Supervisor of Public Works, the current senator for Duarte province Hernani Salazar against lawyer Marino Vincho Castillo. The case will be heard on 12 May. The judge has also summoned former Colonel Pedro Julio (Pepe) Goico to face questions …

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The Dominican Republic 4×400 meter relay team has qualified to race in the 10th World International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Helsinki. The qualifying time was set at the prestigious Penn Relays Meet in Philadelphia. The DR team clocked in at 3:03.97. The IAAF requirement is 3:04. The DR was placed fourth …

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DR1 breaks for the Labor Day holiday, scheduled for Monday, 2 May. Labor Day falls on a Sunday this year, but the government chose to give workers the day off anyway. DR1 news over the long weekend will be compiled for the Tuesday edition. Breaking news may be covered in the DR1 Forums. See http://www.dr1.com/forums …

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President Leonel Fernandez fired embattled Deputy Public Works Minister Carlos Polibio (Kalil) Michel Presbot and sent head of the National Investigation Department (DNI) general Manuel de Jesus Florentino Florentino to a lesser job. Kalil was left out in the cold and replaced by architect Jesus Antonio Musa Hazim. The general was put in charge of …

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