2006 – Page 102

After a unanimous decision the Dominican Republic has been chosen as the chair for the Central American Council of Secretaries for Public Finance and Treasury. The decision was made during the meeting for the Annual Assembly of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which took place in Singapore. Dominican Finance Minister Vincent Bengoa will head the …

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A report by the Diario Libre highlights that the Dominican bureaucracy is filled with political patronage, and it is an inefficient and incapable mechanism for progress. The report states that in the last 10 years government jobs in government have increased by 60% from 110,347 in 1996 to 168,081 in 2005. The numbers do not …

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Leaders of the major public transportation unions have announced price reductions on urban and inter-urban transport. Fares have been reduced by between RD$1 and RD$5 on urban routes and up to RD$10 on inter-urban journeys. Though the price decreases are welcome, the traveling public does not consider it sufficient. Unions say that drivers who don’t …

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The environmental prosecutor for the northwest, Ramon Aristides Arias described the depredation of Dominican scientific, forest and maritime reserves by illegal Haitian immigrants in the northwest as “alarming” and a “cause for great concern”. He spoke of the devastation of fishing areas due to the use of banned fishing methods, destruction of coral reefs, the …

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The city hall office in the municipality of Los Llanos has reported improprieties in the distribution of birth certificates. Jaime Vasquez, president of the Vicente Celestino Duarte Foundation, reported that the city hall office in the province has been issuing birth certificates to children of illegal Haitian immigrants. He provided a photocopy of one of …

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The Ministry of Industry and Commerce is waiting for a response from the office of the United States Representative of Commerce about revisions to laws needed for the implementation of the DR-CAFTA agreement. After these revisions have been accepted by the United States they will then be submitted to the Dominican Congress for approval. For …

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Australian Trade Commissioner Paul Martins encouraged Dominicans to look “down under” during a presentation sponsored by the Commonwealth Round Table, the Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce and the DR Center for Exports and Investments (CEI-RD). The presentation focused on what Australia is today and where some of the business opportunities may be found. Martins gave …

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The European Union is asking for the same treatment from the DR as was given to the United States in the framework of negotiations for DR-CAFTA, says the Dominican Ambassador to Belgium, Federico Cuello Camilo. Clave Digital reports that according to the ambassador, the county has listened very closely to those arguments and will define …

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Brazilian experts in the production of ethanol for use as fuel by mixing with gasoline, will be holding a seminar on Thursday and Friday to share their experiences in this new industry. The Brazilian technicians will display their experience for it to be of use in the DR, according to Ambassador Ronaldo Edgar Dunlop, as …

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Police Chief General Bernardo Santana Paez is not ruling out the possibility of shutting down the Praia nightclub after a 23-year-old student, Pura Alexandra Nunez Rodriguez, was killed there on Saturday night. The alleged murderer is a security guard and there are five people in custody in relation to the case, according to Diario Libre. …

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