2005 – Page 252

The Dominican government has identified 600,000 families that fulfill the necessary conditions for receiving propane gas at a subsidized price. The rest of the population will have to pay the full cost for the gas, which is the main cooking fuel in most urban areas. A further 260,000 families are currently being processed. Sources close …

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Inflation was slightly down in January. The Central Bank Consumer Price Index stated that inflation over the past 12 months is now at 18.79%. Inflation for 2004 ended at 28.74% (December 2004). Inflation in January 2005 was 0.79%, compared to 9.23% in January 2004. Bear Stearns analyst Franco Uccelli comments that the continuing downward trend …

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National Competitiveness Council member Celso Marranzini has spoken out in favor of industrial convergence, or the extension of business conditions enjoyed by export free trade zones to all the DR’s industries, as reported in the Listin Diario. He said that this industrial convergence is a necessary process if the country is to become an exporting …

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A Dominican doctor who served eight years in the US Army Reserve but had resigned last April, received a notice in August that he was up for an 18- to 24-month stint in Iraq, as reported in El Caribe. He fought the notice in court and won his case. Jose Mendez is a pediatrician in …

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For Pedro Amparo, his experiences living in the South Bronx were inspiration enough for him to organize his rough neighborhood of Simonico in the Villa Duarte district of Santo Domingo, introducing a program called “Protect your area”. The program is starting to produce good results and this is why Simonico shows sharp contrasts with the …

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Public Health Minister Dr. Sabino Baez called the head of the medical association (CMD), Waldo Ariel Suero, a “blackmailer” following the breakdown of recent talks aimed at settling a long-running salary dispute. The doctors and other medical personnel are planning a walkout today. Dr. Baez told reporters: “We have made offers that have not been …

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All of today’s papers carry headlines warning of the possible problems arising from the proposed Metro system and the application of the restrictions on public debt as imposed by the IMF Stand By Arrangement. Ousmene Mandeng, the IMF representative in the Dominican Republic told reporters that the Metro represents a de-prioritizing of the projects that …

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Reactions ranging from outright dismissal to hearty applause greeted the announcement of the Metro project made by Metro Minister, Diandino Pena. Pena built the apartment complex where President Leonel Fernandez lived before his first term in 1996, and is a visionary engineer who promoted the overpasses and other mega-projects during the first Fernandez administration. As …

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Transportation unions, such as Conatra, CNTU and Fenatrano denounced the Metro by pointing out that it will benefit just 2% of the National District’s passengers, as reported in El Caribe. The union leaders expressed doubts that the fares could be kept at RD$5 and RD$10 pesos. Juan Hubieres and Ramon Perez Figuereo, well-known transport union …

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DR1 forum posters are skeptical about the goal of building 10 kilometers of subway for US$327 million being achieved in three or four years, as proposed by Metro Minister Diandino Pena. As quoted in the thread, similar stretches under construction in Paris and Amsterdam have costs of EUR1 billion each, three times more than the …

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