2007 – Page 10

With the announcement of budget allocations last week, many government departments have openly expressed their displeasure with their piece of the pie. The Supreme Court, the Central Electoral Board (JCE), the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies all told reporters from El Caribe that the budget funding for their organizations were not what they had …

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After three and-a-half years of stressful negotiations, the Caribbean and European negotiating teams have concluded the first Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Both parties completed the massive task around 1:30am on Sunday, 16 December at the Grand Barbados Hotel in Bridgetown, Barbados. As of January 2008 all exports in goods and services originating from within the …

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The country’s business associations are calling on the authorities to take urgent measures against the transport monopoly enjoyed by the Fenatrado trucking union. The associations argue that the monopoly increases transport costs and the National Council for Private Business (CONEP) is also encouraging its members to resist being cowed by the union this time round. …

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President Leonel Fernandez returned to Santiago over the weekend and announced some of the plans the government has for reconstructing damage caused by the floodwaters from the Tavera Dam. As part of the program, the President announced the construction of 600 houses in the Rafey and Bella Vista areas of the city, and the repair …

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President Leonel Fernandez has ordered the Navy to start work on the dredging of the Tavera Dam reservoir as well as all the other artificial lakes in the Dominican Republic. The President said that many of these lakes still contain scraps of wood and other debris left from Hurricane David in 1979. The President was …

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The conduct of the Rafey prison guards is being praised for having saved hundreds of lives during the flooding caused by the waters flowing from the opened gates at Tavera Dam. The Dominican Republic’s Attorney General, Radhames Jimenez Pena, told reporters from El Caribe that the heroic actions of prison staff deserved to be acknowledged …

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The north and north-central power utility EdeNorte is reporting that 955 of its circuits are back on line, after having been affected by Tropical Storm Olga. Felix Tavarez, spokesperson for EdeNorte, told El Caribe reporters that 121 electricity poles were damaged by the floods, and 21 transformers and 149 kilometers of the network of power …

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The number of people killed by last week’s storm was reported as 33 as of Monday morning. The National Emergency Commission (CNE) reports that over 61,000 people were displaced from their homes during the flooding. The CNE also is keeping a Red Alert in place for the provinces of Santiago, Duarte, Montecristi, Valverde, Maria Trinidad …

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The drama of flooded areas that was first seen in central Santiago de los Caballeros early last week is now happening in the lower Yaque basin, to the northwest. The towns of Mao, Guayubin and Castanuelas are struggling against the floodwaters, and thousands of acres of farmland are under water. Plantain and rice farms in …

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Even after the experience of running from the huge waves generated by Tropical Storm Olga, the residents of Villa Iris in Nagua have gone back to build houses on the beaches. People are walking along the beaches in search of the odd piece of tin roofing or usable piece of wood. They are rebuilding less …

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