2005 – Page 203

In his interview on Channel 11 yesterday, former President Hipolito Mejia expressed no knowledge of the proposal for the construction of an artificial island in front of Santo Domingo’s seafront avenue, the Malecon. He described the plan as “illogical.” “I don’t have the remotest idea about that island,” he said when interviewed by journalist Juan …

Read more…

Hoy Newspaper’s Que Se Dice column comments on the statements made by Priest Ramon Araujo on the occasion of President Leonel Fernandez’s visit to the province of El Seibo. The priest, from Miches, denounced that the coastal town has many drug sale points. “What is worse”, said the priest, “is that everyone knows where the …

Read more…

Shop owners, organized under the Northern Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce announced the creation of a legal self-defense unit, in effect creating a private security force aimed at stopping crime in the area. The president of the chamber, Frank Reynaldo Quinones said that they have hired the services of a private security company and will …

Read more…

The Dominican Republic will play in the Group B against Uruguay, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Argentina in the FIBA-Americas Championship scheduled for 24-28 August in Santo Domingo. The Championship Draw was held in Santo Domingo on Monday. Group A will be made up by Panama, US, Venezuela, Brazil and Canada. The teams are opting for …

Read more…

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce lowered fuel prices for the first time in seven weeks. Premium gasoline will cost RD$6.40 less this coming week; regular will cost RD$6.20; and diesel will be RD$5.40 less. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce explained that the lower prices were the result of the lower prices on the …

Read more…

The application of the new Penal Code has reduced the number of people submitted to “preventive custody” (jailed without bail) from last September to March of 2005. According to the Listin Diario, between September 2004 and March 2005, 5,672 persons were sent to jail without bail, and 4,375 were released. Currently the jail population in …

Read more…

The Customs Office and the Armed Forces have 15 people under investigation for the huge contraband of alcoholic beverages that were being smuggled into the country. The people include merchants and property owners in different locals around the country. According to Miguel Cocco, the Director General of the Customs Department, six will be indicted today. …

Read more…

Economist Maritza Amalia Guerrero passed away last week from cancer. She was a leading expert on international relations, international agreements and economic matters. She was on secondment from the Central Bank to the Ministry of Foreign Relations. At the Central Bank she had been director of economic studies. At the time of her death she …

Read more…

In accordance with agreements signed with the International Monetary Fund, the government subsidy on propane gas that benefits those using tanks of 100 lbs or less could be abolished this month. El Caribe newspaper points out that removing the subsidy means that a 100-lb tank of propane could cost as much as RD$1,065 pesos. The …

Read more…

In England, the authorities decided to remove the traffic signs around Exhibition Road in Kensington, including the stoplights as a “psychological measure” to better traffic by stimulating drivers and pedestrians to interact within the intentional chaos. The authorities had already carried out the experiment in the town of Wilshire and it reduced the number of …

Read more…