2007 – Page 27

President Leonel Fernandez has attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Villa Altagracia for 128 apartments for families affected by Tropical Storm Noel. The apartments are part of a program to provide housing in the wake of the storm and the total value of the project is RD$245 million. The government plans to build 200 houses in …

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The Central Electoral Board is applying for a RD$7.5 billion operational budget for 2008, of which RD$3 billion will be used to organize the 2008 presidential elections, as reported in Hoy. This is RD$6 billion more than was requested in 2004. The board said that this large sum is needed in case the elections aren’t …

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Hacienda Minister Vicente Bengoa says that the Dominican government is committed to buying Shell’s 50% stake in the Dominican Petroleum Refineries and said that the government doesn’t need the IMF’s endorsement of the deal. Speaking yesterday, Bengoa was defiant in his attitude towards the purchase of Shell’s shares and is quoted in Hoy as saying …

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The National Business Council (CONEP) and the National Association for Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE) have both spoken out against the government’s planned purchase of Shell’s share in the Dominican Petroleum Refineries. Conep president Lisandro Macarrulla said that his organization is opposed to the purchase because the government’s role is that of a facilitator and regulator. ANJE …

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Business representatives are reiterating their demand that the government stop tolerating the forced monopoly on cargo transport. They say this affects costs considerably and reduces their competitiveness. The presidents of the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE), the Federation of Industrial Associations (FAI) and the National Federation of Traders and Entrepreneurs (FENACERD), Joel Santos, Ignacio …

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According to UASD University law professor Dinorah Gomez, 99.1% of students commit plagiarism at least once each semester. This astounding figure is leading university professors to try and combat the new habit of “cut and paste” among college students. Hoy writes that many college professors are now forcing students to present their assignments and final …

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According to Enrique de Marchena Kaluche, president elect of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), stagnation in the Dominican tourist sector and reduced local investment into the country’s hotels are two tourism trends for 2007. Marchena says that between January and October 3,294,012 tourists (2,830,6610 foreigners) visited the DR, which is almost exact same number as …

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The government has revoked a contract signed by businessmen Jose Cabrera Castillo with the Corporacion Hotelera, a division of the Ministry of Tourism, as reported in Hoy. Eric Hazim, director general for the implementation of the new Law on Governmental Contracts said the contract, which was granted without a tender, violated the law. As reported …

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Dozens of people rushed to the Santiago Promipyme office yesterday in the hope of getting a job. Many of them were former casual laborers and free trade zone workers. Yesterday it was announced that 20,000 jobs in the Program for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Businesses would be available to qualified candidates. Diario Libre reports that …

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The transport unions and the government haven’t yet reached an agreement on halting the threatened fare hike, but drivers have begun to install the new dual fuel systems that combine diesel and gas to power their vehicles. Three vehicles, including a Fenatrano truck and two Conatra buses, will be used as trial vehicles to see …

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