2008 – Page 98

After agriculture sector spokesmen complained last week that government offers to fund farms had never materialized, yesterday President Leonel Fernandez again announced the availability of RD$6 billion to fund farming. He said that RD$1.5 billion are already available at the Banco Agricola to finance short-cycle crops. He said that another RD$2 billion would shortly be …

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President Leonel Fernandez has removed the governor of Monsignor Nouel (Bonao) province, Nestor Francisco Melenciano. Melenciano took it upon himself to decide who would receive the 100 homes that are part of the Community Simon Bolivar project built with a Venezuelan government donation for people made homeless by tropical storms Noel and Olga. The Embassy …

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The Ministry of Education has announced that random samples of the public school breakfast supplies would be taken nationwide every 15 days. The measure comes after TV investigative journalist Nuria Piera proved that sub-standard quality rations were being given to public schoolchildren. Education Minister Melanio Paredes said the Ministry had signed four-month contracts with leading …

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The Fenatrano transport union has again committed to making payments of RD$3 million a month for five years to the Municipality of Santo Domingo. At the end of his term in 2002, then Mayor Johnny Ventura signed for the city hall as guarantor of a RD$400 million loan to the transporters for the purchase of …

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The Senate has approved a US$93.6 million loan for the purchase of Brazilian Super Tucano airplanes. Santiago Senator Francisco Dominguez Brito and Peravia Senator Wilton Guerrero, both from the ruling government party, have opposed the loan. Dominguez Brito said that he had reports that the Super Tucanos are fuel guzzlers and the cost of the …

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The Dominican Republic Industrial Association (AIRD) says that the most recent Central Bank economic report proves that the government needs to puts its finances in order. They said that while fiscal collections increased 8.9% from January to July compared to the previous period in 2007, government spending was up 32.3%. While he conceded that as …

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While the government has been quick to pass the oil price increases to consumers, the opposite is not the case. El Dia reports that although the price of oil has dropped by US$55 a barrel in the past seven weeks, a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has only dropped a mere RD$9. Contradictorily, the price …

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The Central Bank reports that the Consumer Price Index is now at 9.4%, accumulated from January to August. Increases in food prices and the cost of school tuition affected the rates. Inflation in August was up 0.09% compared to July. See www.bancentral.gov.do

Navy captain Genaro Silverio Balbuena is under arrest for his possible role in the murder of seven suspected drug dealers in Paya, Peravia province (Bani). This is the second Navy officer arrested after the abduction and killing of six Colombians and a Dominican on 4 August in Ojo de Agua, Paya. Two other Navy officers …

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Senator Wilton Guerrero, who has been vocal about high-ranking government complicity with drug dealers, is asking National Police Chief Major General Rafael Guillermo Guzman Fermin to identify the intellectual authors of the Paya massacre. As reported in El Caribe, the senator said that together with revealing who are the brains behind the killings, the whereabouts …

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