2007 – Page 145

The Ministry of the Interior and Police announcement that it would carry out a national inventory of the weapons at all the country’s arms dealerships has certainly caused a wave of reactions. Father Luis Rosario accused the government of being an accomplice in the business. But the gun dealers say that most crimes are committed …

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The Alternative Social Forum (FSA) has approved a strike call for September as part of their demands that the government change their economic and social policies, increase wages, modify the hydrocarbon law, and lower the cost of food. The proposal for a strike call was unanimously approved by hundreds of delegates from social, political, union, …

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The obvious stir caused by the announcement of a cure for AIDS has led the prosecutor for Santo Domingo to open an investigation aimed at ascertaining whether or not Dr. Ramon Baez Acosta has been using toxic or dangerous drugs in his treatment. Apparently, the prosecutor’s office has received a complaint from one of the …

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A RD$30 million investment has brought two recycling plants to the Rafey Refuse Dump outside Santiago. One of the plants, which was installed by a Chinese company 10 months ago, is now processing as much as 20 tons of plastic per day. They have sold RD$20 million so far. Another facility was installed by a …

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Last Thursday, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled that the laws passed in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, which penalized undocumented immigrants and their employers for hiring them, were unconstitutional. This is the first case in United States where a local immigration law was challenged and went to a full trial, ending in favor of the undocumented immigrants. According …

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The Dominican Republic has finished up in ninth place at the Rio 2007 Pan American Games, with a very respectable 29 medals of every color. Lin Ju won gold in Table Tennis and Heidy Rodriguez won gold in karate. Overall, cycling and bowling added their names to medal-winning sports for the DR at the Pan …

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President Leonel Fernandez has convened an extraordinary Congressional legislative session beginning on 28 July and lasting until 15 August, with the aim of studying the proposed modifications to law 87-01 of the Social Security program, as well as other issues. The legislation was passed by the Senate earlier in the week and the expectation is …

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The Executive Branch has sent some changes to Social Security Law 87-01 to Congress. Press reports note that the changes increase the cost companies and insured employees will be required to pay. Diario Libre writes that in the first year of the SFS, which is due to enter into effect in September, workers would have …

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The Superintendence of Workers Health and Injury programs (SISALRIL) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) are allocating RD$6 million to supervise the government’s health insurance program (SFS). SISALRIL’s Fernando Caamano and UNDP’s Niky Fabiancic signed an agreement to supervise and monitor the services provided by the SFS with collaboration from the National Health Service …

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Economy, Planning and Development Minister Temistocles Montas, speaking at a conference on DR-CAFTA and the future of the Dominican economy yesterday, said that the free trade agreement between the United States, Central America and the Dominican Republic should have a positive effect on the DR’s economic growth and help reduce poverty, but warned that the …

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