2009 – Page 157

With pledges to assist the Israeli-Palestinian peace process if the Dominican Republic obtains a seat on the UN Security Council, President Leonel Fernandez brought the official part of his trip to Israel to a close. Fernandez made these comments during a meeting with speaker of the Knesset Reuven Rivlin. Fernandez suggested that Israel should step …

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Making a first stopover in Paris on his way to Israel for his 10-day Middle East tour, President Leonel Fernandez met with the director general of UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura, as reported in Diario Libre. Fernandez is reported to have discussed cooperation for university education in the DR. During his visit, President Leonel Fernandez also signed …

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The Senate has received a legislative proposal aimed at authorizing the Executive Branch to launch a US$1 billion bond issue that would be placed on the international capital markets. The government wants to use the money now that tax revenues are down, to eliminate debt items and supply the gap in financing coming from PetroCaribe, …

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Oil imports fell by 1.5 million barrels in the first quarter of 2009, going from 3.5 million barrels to 2.0 million barrels. The average price of oil last year for the first quarter was US$93.30 a barrel and this year the average price for the first quarter was US$46.01 a barrel. In each of the …

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The Executive Branch is requesting Congressional approval of a loan contract for US$48,843,918.40 that was negotiated with the National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES), the Brazilian export financing agency, for the construction of the Duarte Corridor. The funds would finance 100% of the materials, equipment and services required. The contract for the design …

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Despite all the laws, government anti-corruption offices and all its promises, the government has yet to act against corruption. Indeed, the DR is at its lowest point ever when it comes to controlling corruption, according to the World Bank 2009 World Wide Governance Indicators (WGI), ranking in at a record low of 31.9% compared to …

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Hoy newspaper dedicates an editorial today to the all-too-common practice of difficult crime cases being abandoned by state prosecutors. It writes that the investigation into the murder of aviation official Angel Christopher Martinez that took place 3 years ago, is to judge by what the authorities say, in a state of limbo very similar to …

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The Central Bank reports that as part of the Project for Payment System Reform in the DR (SIPARD) the format for bank checks in the DR is being standardized. The new format is expected to replace all checking within the next 8 months. The Central Bank says that as of 4 September, it will be …

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The Ministry of Public Health has sent 25 more samples from patients diagnosed with the influenza “A” virus for further study to see if they are of the H1N1 strain of the flu. Nelson Rodriguez, the public official in charge of supervising the DR’s response to the new virus, told reporters from El Nuevo Diario …

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The Ministry of Foreign Relations has announced a US$30 dollar increase in the cost of a tourist visa for those who require them. The announcement was sent to all Dominican consulates worldwide. The new measure does not affect people with United States, Canadian or European Union passports, where the standard US$10 fee will continue to …

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