2005 – Page 251

Orlando Gil, political analyst for the Listin Diario speculates that it is unlikely that the Fernandez government will be able to start work on the metro and still do well in the mid term congressional and municipal elections in 2006, or in the next presidential election of 2008. “It would not only be the metro, …

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Reynaldo Peguero writes today in the Listin Diario that the average number of patients seen each year by the almost 9,000 public hospital doctors on the Ministry of Public Health payroll is 5.5 million, a very low turnover of 2.5 patients per doctor per day. There are doctors who work much harder than the average, …

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Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez has expressed his opposition to the abolition of tax incentives for the tourism industry, as contemplated in Law 158-01. The government committed to abolishing these incentives when it signed the IMF stand by agreement. Paragraph 19 of the IMF letter of intent establishes that the government needs to begin to prepare …

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El Caribe newspaper today reports on the romance between much-loved TV investigative reporter Nuria Piera and Tourism Minister Felix (Felucho) Jimenez. Neither Nuria nor Felucho are talking. The Ministry of Tourism press officer, Anna Jimenez told the newspaper that Felucho has said he would not comment on the relationship. “It is a private affair and …

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President Leonel Fernandez announced the start of construction of “Baseball Land,” a theme park around the Quisqueya Stadium this month. He said that four or five baseball fields will be built, Mario Melvin Soto’s memorabilia museum would be part of the complex, as well as restaurants, bars and shops. The Quisqueya Ball Park would be …

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The Comision de Espectaculos Publicos, the government body that regulates public performances in the DR, issued resolution 06/2005 banning world famous Dominican bachata group Aventura from performing live in the DR for a period of one year. Aventura is accused of “an alarming and shameful attempt to offend the morals and good customs of Dominican …

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The Supreme Court of Justice has rejected a bid to declare the Sectorial Protected Areas Law unconstitutional. The Supreme Court considered that the law (no. 202-04 dated 30 July 2004) is in keeping with the Constitution and international treaties. The bill that enables the construction of hotels and tourism facilities in previously protected fragile environmental …

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Environment Minister Max Puig told El Caribe newspaper that he deeply regrets the Supreme Court of Justice decision that gives a green light to the implementation of Law 202-04 on Sectorial Protected Areas. Puig said that Dominican society should grieve for the validation of a law that affects everyone’s future. He said it creates a …

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Governor of the Central Bank Hector Valdez says that the country’s finances will not be a problem if the government decides to make this a public works priority and proceeds with the construction of a first stretch of metro line in Santo Domingo. Metro Minister Diandino Pena has said the 10-km stretch will cost US$327 …

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Jose Antonio Najri, vice president of one of the PRD factions, told Listin Diario that the metro should not be a national priority. He said that the Dominican government needs to confront the power crisis instead, the neglect of the hospitals and the problems affecting public schoolchildren. He said that the country urgently needs maintenance …

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