2008 – Page 241

The 11th International Book Fair opened in Santo Domingo last night and is expected to draw the attention of city residents for the next two weeks. President Leonel Fernandez, who established the annual fair during his first term (1996-2000), cut the opening ribbon together with First Lady Margarita Cedeno. During the opening ceremony at the …

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Customs Department (DGA) director Miguel Cocco says that money laundering is very common in the DR, and added that five businesses are currently under investigation. He made the comments after signing a cooperation agreement with the Attorney General’s Office. Cocco said that so far this year, the DGA has already seized US$60 million in illegal …

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The Central Bank has announced that it will inject US$100 million of international reserves into the market to compensate for the rising costs of imported foods. The Central Bank says that the move is intended to mitigate some of the effects of record fuel prices on the cost of consumer goods and transport. El Caribe …

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According to statistics from the Customs Department (DGA), the import of duty free goods under the DR-CAFTA free trade scheme means that the government has given up RD$2.3 billion in taxes. Most of these imports were from mainland US, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Diario Libre focuses on how the promise of goods …

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It’s been a year since the implementation of DR-CAFTA and public and private citizens are still trying to understand the complexities of the agreement and how it is affecting the nation’s competitiveness. With this goal in mind, this month Medios Especializados S.A launched a new magazine called “Gestion & Competitividad”. The first issue of the …

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The government has given ten thousand UASD state university students Special Education Incentive Cards (IES) with RD$500 monthly cash deposits to be used for their educational costs. The RD$5 million program seeks to assist 50,000 low-income students, according to Higher Education Minister Ligia Amada Melo.

According to the Association of Vehicle Makers Concessionaires (ACOFAVE), consumers seem to prefer to buy pre-owned vehicles instead of new ones. During a press conference, ACOFAVE President Enrique Fernandez said that during the first three months of the year, 7,355 new vehicles were sold, which is the same amount sold during the first three months …

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Residents of La Vega are rebuilding after a tornado struck that area on Sunday. According to the Civil Defense, in all 160 houses were affected with damages reported at 50 business establishments. Yesterday the National Housing Institute (INVI) and volunteers started to rebuild in the affected areas. The Armed Forces and their special brigades aided …

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The recent tornado that primarily affected the Central Cibao region reminds Dominicans that tornados are not so rare. A news report in El Caribe newspaper indicates that there have been 22 tornados over the past five years. This is broken down in four in 2007, two in 2006, six in 2005, two in 2004 and …

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In a interview in the Spanish language magazine ‘Tras la Verdad’, Democrat presidential pre-candidate Hillary Clinton says that she loves vacationing in the DR. Clinton is quoted as saying that she has seen many interesting places, but highlighted her affection for the DR. Clinton also commented on her admiration for Dominican designer Oscar de la …

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