2008 – Page 159

The leaders of the two main opposition parties, the PRD and the PRSC, believe that the sale of the Dominican Refinery (Refidomsa) to the Venezuelan Petroleum Company (PDVSA) should be placed in the hands of Congress. Victor Gomez Casanova and Orlando Jorge Mera both said that the negotiations should be transparent and the funds used …

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During a visit to New York City, former presidential candidate Guillermo Moreno said that President Leonel Fernandez is the “governor of the excuses.” He said that Fernandez has spent this term blaming his problems in government on his predecessor Hipolito Mejia, and now, even before starting his third term he has a new culprit: “petroleum …

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The Santo Domingo municipality has chosen to replace cast-iron manhole covers from city streets with 1,000 high-resistance plastic ones. The new covers are manufactured in Mexico. “With the installation of the new model of cover, we will put an end to the practice of stealing them for selling for scrap,” said Santo Domingo Mayor Roberto …

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The Central Electoral Board (JCE) admitted yesterday that it will not have the capacity to control, totally, the fraud and fake documents issued by personnel attached to the Civil Registry Office (CRO) until the process of complete digitalization is completed. The process will include biomechanical data such as photographs and fingerprints in one document. The …

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Representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the small-scale business sector represented by the Dominican Confederation of the Small and Medium-Sized Companies (Codopyme) and legislators reached an agreement yesterday to pass the small business bill. Industry & Commerce Minister Melanio Paredes and the board of Copdopyme visited the presidents of the Senate and Chamber …

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The DR has made a name for itself in beauty salons in places with Dominican immigrant communities. Now the local products used in the salons are finding acceptance in export markets, too. The DR Center for Export and Investment (CEI-RD) reported that in 2007, US$8.7 million worth of beauty products was exported. From Jan-May of …

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The trade deficit with the US has doubled. According to Department of Commerce statistics, during the first five months of the year Dominican exports to the US fell by US$94 million, while purchases were up US$500 million. Hoy reports that this means the trade deficit with the US doubled from January to May 2008. Exports …

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Ester Jimenez has been living in Villa Mella for eight years. She purchased her apartment for RD$700,000 in 2000, and now her cousin Minerva wants to live near her, but Minerva will need three times that amount. Like many others, Minerva is finding that it is practically impossible to purchase a home. Price increases from …

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The sale of vehicles that consume a lot of fuel has fallen dramatically in the Dominican Republic. Dealers are reporting a decline of between 80 and 85% in the sale of the large SUVs that were so popular just a year or so ago. Spokespersons for auto dealers said that in June SUV sales fell …

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A court in La Vega has sentenced a Catholic priest to 15 years in jail for raping five college students in Moca. The priest, Ramon Sanchez Ramos was arrested after an O&M student accused him of rape. She had accepted a lift home from the priest on his motorcycle at night, and reported that instead …

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