2005 – Page 230

Nearly two-thirds of coral reefs in the Caribbean are threatened by human activities, according to a report released by scientists at the World Resources Institute (WRI). The report indicates that the reefs in the Dominican Republic are under high potential threat. “We estimate that two-thirds of the region’s reefs are threatened from direct human pressures. …

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Singer Maridalia Hernandez has secured her release from contractual commitment with Bienvenido Rodriguez. Legal representatives of the president of the Karen Records company and the singer signed the document that put an end to the legal dispute that had been going on since 1996. The singer is now free to resume her career. Maridalia Hernandez …

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Dominican Luciano Gonzalez won the Master of the Ocean 2005 competition in Cabarete. The triathlon that brings together the sports of surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing is the most difficult of events held in the north coast sport destination. Hoy newspaper reported that the difficult climate conditions demanded the most of the competitors. Luciano Gonzalez is …

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President Leonel Fernandez met in Spain with businessmen gathered at the Madrid Chamber of Commerce. He announced that he had been offered a US$300 million loan to improve the jail system. Companies offering to improve conditions at the jail are Equipos Tecnologicos y Maquinarias (Equinsa) and Abadesa. Hoy newspaper reported that President Fernandez said that …

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Santo Domingo Mayor Roberto Salcedo is optimistic that garbage collection service of the city will soon pay for itself and leave a profit. He told Listin Diario that efforts to collect for the service had been successful. He said that at the start of his administration only 10% paid for the service, but this has …

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In 2004, power distribution companies benefited from being able to increase consumer rates to their paying clients, and thus did not have to work harder to reduce the number of non-paying clients. Paying consumers continued to be penalized for the inefficiencies of EdeSur, EdeNorte and EdeEste, and had to pay 55.4% more for the service, …

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As long as the private sector is not overly protected, competitiveness experts Michael Fairbanks and Leonel Guerra think that the country can attain a competitive status in world markets. As told to El Caribe, the country has the opportunity to achieve competitive status in the service sector, manufacturing sector and businesses that focus on natural …

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At a parallel conference on free zones held during the National Competitiveness Council workshop, the challenges ahead were discussed. Speaking on challenges to the sector from the World Trade Organization, Colombian customs lawyer and former Finance and Commerce Minister, Martin Gustavo Ibarra told the audience that the Dominican Republic has 134 products that can compete …

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The Dominican Republic spent US$251.3 million more last year than the previous year. The 17.8% increase in the oil bill came in spite of lower purchases caused by the economic recession at the beginning of 2004. The Central Bank report lists a US$9.40 increase in the cost of oil as the main cause of the …

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The opposition party PRD legislators in the Chamber of Deputies abandoned the session yesterday after hearing that the attorney general yesterday searched the offices of former minister of Agriculture and head of the PPH re-electionist movement, Eligio Jaquez. Without the PRD legislators, there is no quorum. At the offices of Jaquez, prosecutor officers confiscated valuable …

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