2008 – Page 332

The recent decision by city councilors in Santiago and San Cristobal to give themselves pay raises continues to cause uproar. The Padre Juan Montalvo Social Studies Center says that the wage increases violate Law 176-07. The Center called the raises “shameful” describing them as “an abuse of power which puts the moral and ethics of …

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Rodrigo Varillas, an expert from the Santo Domingo Technological Institute (INTEC) says that investors in the renewable energy sector need guarantees that there won’t be theft in the renewable energy sector. Energy theft, Hoy writes, currently totals US$600 million annually, equivalent to 1.7% of the GDP. Varillas, who is taking part in the DR’s first …

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The National Dominican Workers’ Confederation (CNTD) has announced that it plans to create a new entity, the Freight Transport Federation in the next few days, with the hopes of ending FENATRADO’s long-standing monopoly in the freight sector. Jacobo Ramos, secretary general of the new entity, is quoted in Hoy saying that the creation of the …

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President of the National Hotel and Restaurants Worker’s Union (UNATRAHOREST) Pedro Pena Fana has expressed his opposition to a bill that seeks to eliminate a 10% tax that is added to restaurant customers’ bills. The proposal, which was submitted to the Chamber of Deputies by Deputy Luis Gonzalez Sanchez, aims to modify articles 228,229 and …

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We would like to correct an error published in yesterday’s news. Julia Alvarez, one of the nominees for the US National Book Critics Circle Award, is not Dominican-born, but was born in New York to Dominican parents, and then returned to the DR as a baby. We apologize for this mistake.

Dominican baseball player Miguel Tejada could be in a lot of trouble. The star infielder, who recently signed with the Houston Astros and is helping the Aguilas in their quest for another Winter League Championship, has emphatically denied reports that he used performance-enhancing drugs. Listin Diario quotes Tejada as saying “I’m clean.” But the troubles …

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The playoffs start today at the Quisqueya Ballpark, with the expected match between the Licey Tigers (Santo Domingo) and the Aguilas Cibaenas (Santiago). The two teams each have won 19 winter baseball championships. This year, because Puerto Rico did not hold a winter baseball championship, regardless of who wins, both teams will play in the …

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The Tax Department (DGII) released the updated pay scales for income taxes yesterday. The new rules will allow a tax-free income of RD$26,334.75 per month. Any earnings over this amount will be taxable. This is a RD$2,147.84 increase over 2007. The DGII also reported that the Adjustment Multiplier for Inflation for the fiscal year ending …

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Central Electoral Board (JCE) president Julio Cesar Castanos Guzman is calling on the political parties to engage in “civil and polite” campaigning in the run up to the upcoming presidential elections. Castanos Guzman made this statement to reporters as he prepared to open the “official” campaign today, 16 January. The JCE chief magistrate said that …

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The PLD now seeks to focus the public on corruption regarding the personal fortune of PRD presidential candidate Miguel Vargas Maldonado. In addition to questioning the alleged RD$800 million villa of the PRD candidate in Casa de Campo, the party is asking about the purchase by Vargas Maldonado of 577,000 square meters of protected area …

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