2009 – Page 154

The United Nations Development Program in the Dominican Republic has chosen former Colombian Environment Minister Juan Mayr Maldonado to lead the international team of experts that will evaluate the concession process by which the Ministry of Environment issued an environmental license to the Dominican Mining Consortium for building a cement factory on the edge of …

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Over 20 musical performers are coming together for a concert in support of the preservation of Los Haitises, the singular karst region in northeastern DR, considered the main source of water for the south and eastern regions. The event is scheduled for Sunday, 19 July starting at 4pm at Plaza de Espana, in Santo Domingo’s …

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Elio Enai Rojas, a featherweight boxer from San Francsico de Macoris, is the new WBC Featherweight Champion. Enai returned to New York City this week to a hero’s welcome. Enai defeated Japanese national Takahiro Aoh by decision. According to reports, the airport in New York was flooded with Dominicans who waited to see the boxer. …

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President Leonel Fernandez spoke at the inaugural plenary for the two-day Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meeting in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt. The movement gathers officials from 118 nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Fernandez criticized the reduced amount of financial assistance G-8 nations have made available for developing nations to tackle the current financial crisis. He recalled …

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The Revisory Assembly for the Constitution has increased the number of deputies from 178 to 190, rejecting a proposal from the President that sought to establish a minimum of 175 and a maximum of 250 deputies. According to what was approved, 178 deputies “will be elected by the territorial districts in representation of the National …

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Superintendent of Banks Haivanjoe Ng Cortinas and banker Alejandro Grullon say that the economy is picking up, and this can be seen by the increase in bank loans. Ng Cortinas made these comments yesterday while presenting the results of the first half of the year in the financial sector, as compared to the same period …

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Tourists coming from Cuba, Colombia, China and Haiti have been affected by the increase in the cost of visas since 16 June. Arturo Villanueva, executive vice president of the National Hotels & Restaurant Association, criticized the Ministry of Foreign Relations’ decision to increase visa costs from US$40 to US$70. Axel Wittkop, speaking for the Ministry, …

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The Ministry of Hacienda and the French Cooperation Agency have signed an agreement for 9.2 million euros, equivalent to approximately US$13 million, which will be used to preserve the environment in the area covered by the Sierra forestry plan. Minister of Hacienda Vicente Bengoa and French ambassador to the Dominican Republic Roland Dubertrand and the …

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A nationwide blackout lasting 17 minutes affected the Dominican Republic at 11:34 yesterday morning. The blackout ended at 11:51am. However, Diario Libre says that according to official data, the blackout started earlier. At 4:30 in the afternoon the system had 900 megawatts on line. The blackout occurred after the Dominican Corporation of State-owned Electricity Enterprises …

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Codetel, formerly Verizon Dominicana and now under the administration of America Movil owned by Mexican Carlos Slim, confirmed the blackout in Internet service yesterday, 15 July from 9:50 to 11:53am. In a notification to the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel), the company reported they had suffered a “partial degrading” of their Internet service. Technician Pedro …

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