2005 – Page 208

National Treasurer Luis Hernandez told the press that the government has reduced its current spending 20% from August 2004 to date. This is RD$800 million less a month. He said there have been cuts in the government payroll, purchases and other items to fulfill the agreement with the IMF. The payroll was reduced from RD$3 …

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Julio Ortega Tous, director of the economic team of the government, announced that the restructuring of the sovereign bonds could be announced before the end of month. He made the announcement during the assembly of Central Bank governors of the Interamerican Development Bank held in Okinawa, Japan. He said that there would not be a …

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Franco Uccelli of Bear Stearns commented that this was the first time that in an open forum the minimum participation threshold and the possible non-payment to hold-outs has been suggested. In a release today, Uccelli interprets that “while the Dominican government appears to be very confident about the success of its exchange operation, it may …

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The director of the Customs Department, Miguel Cocco called the department under his successor, Vicente Sanchez Baret a “hangout of thieves.” He accuses his predecessor of fraud to the state for RD$114 billion, and said he will be pressing penal charges after compiling proofs over his first seven months on the job. Cocco had been …

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Sponsored by the government of Norway, an academic exercise is taking place in Santo Domingo to analyze governance in Haiti. The workshop, “The international community, political parties and civil society in the Haitian crisis” is held with the participation of 60 political leaders, religious leaders and civil society of Haiti and around 100 Dominicans. Peter …

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The Dominican College of Engineer, Architects (CODIA) gave its green light to the government for the construction of a first line of metro. The upper echelons of CODIA had supported the construction of the metro from the start but had announced that it would hold a workshop before making official its position. During the workshop, …

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Public Works Minister Manuel de Jesus (Freddy) Perez announced that in two months time, the airport of International Herrera will be closed. The government will open the Aeropuerto International La Isabela Doctor Joaquin Balaguer at Higuero for domestic flights. In order to open the airport for domestic flights, contractors that will benefit from the transfer …

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Yvonne Arias called the announcement of construction of new hotels in the southwest beach areas premature, as reported in El Caribe newspaper on 11 April issue. The spokesperson for the Coalition for the Defense of Protected Areas sent letters notifying this situation to Pedro Canellas, president of the Federacion Empresarial Hotelera de Mallorca, to Juan …

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Lobsters served on menus need to be imported ones since their capture is temporarily banned. The Ministry of Environment said that once stocks run out at the restaurants, these should remove lobsters from their menus until August, when they can be captured again. Victor Taveras, spokesman for Vesuvio restaurant, said that during the banned period …

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The forceful and illegal privatization of the access road leading to Playa El Encuentro in Cabarete, the country’s best surfing beach, is affecting the development of the OP LatinPro (October-November) and Cocopipe Masters (September) surfing competition, says Ricardo Ripoll, president of the Puerto Plata Surfing Association (ASPP). For the competitions, leading teams come, says Ricardo …

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