2006 – Page 310

The government is adamant about not accepting any reductions in the RD$238.5 billion budget it has submitted to Congress. This is RD$32 billion more than the actual spending of 2005. As a result, the country is operating on the 2005 budget, which will mean a windfall of surplus revenues that the government will be able …

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The Coalition for Transparency and Institutionalism (CTI) considers that there is a lack of political will to confront corruption in government given that corrective measures that should have been taken in some instances have not been implemented, and suggestions and observations made to the Executive Branch by civil society aimed at eradicating corruption have not …

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Government Spokesman Roberto Rodriguez Marchena told the press yesterday that statements made by Jesuit priest and economist, Father Jose Luis Aleman about the construction of the metro show the priest’s disregard for the history of the Church. Rodriguez commented that the government’s embarking on the construction of the first Santo Domingo metro line is comparable …

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Parents of 71 children rescued from the streets and avenues in the National District where they used to wipe windshields, shine shoes and beg, will be meeting today with psychologists, pediatricians, social workers and members of the Attorney General Department’s Integrated Attention Units for Children and Adolescents, as reported in Diario Libre. The purpose of …

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The Migration Department in Santiago has arrested and deported 300 illegal Haitian migrants during operations performed in different locations across the province. In less than three days, 800 Haitians have been deported. Migration Officials and the National Army in the Northern Region of the country have arrested a further 200, bringing the total of detainees …

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RD$10 million worth of fake tobacco cigars have been seized by the District Attorney Department in the National District. The 15,000 cigars were forged by a group of six Cubans who are specialists in this practice, according to a report in Diario Libre. The DA Intellectual Property Department coordinator, Juan Luis Villanueva, said that the …

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The electric distribution companies Edeeste, Edesur and Edenorte, have overcharged their clients around RD$249.1 million “by mistake” in billing, irregular cuts and tariff changes, over the last 17 months. The excess charge last December was more than RD$11.7 million, according to a report by the Superintendence of Electricity’s Department of Consumer Protection (Protecom), as reported …

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During last year, sales of chicken increased by 31.8%, from an average 11 million birds per month in 2004 to 14.5 million in 2005, according to poultry producer Carlomagno Gonzalez. Diario Libre reports that this shows that Dominicans are consuming more animal proteins. During a meeting with the government’s agriculture team led by Agriculture Secretary …

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The Dominican Republic can boast 70% of the world market of organic cacao, with an annual production of some 3,378 metric tons. According to a report from the Ministry of Agriculture featured in Listin Diario, this represents US$4.8 million in exports for the country. Some 401,553 tareas are planted nationwide, or 16.5% of all cacao …

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Supermercado Bravo will keep its prices at the same level until the end of January, and will absorb any increases caused by the application of the tax reform, according to El Caribe. The supermarket’s president, Rafael Monestina explained that they are negotiating with suppliers so that when the increase is applied in February, and that …

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