2009 – Page 175

Dominican newspapers and talk shows are giving front-page coverage to the death of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. He was just as much a part of Dominican culture – with the Michael Jackson show being one of the longest standing in tourism resorts nationwide for many years. Initial reports on his death indicate it …

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The 14th Annual F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference will honor Dominican-American poet, novelist and essayist Julia Alvarez later this year. As well as her successful and acclaimed novels including How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez’s poetry and prose have been widely praised and published. Her …

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Producciones Buen Vivir has organized a benefit at the Santo Domingo Hilton in support of the Friends of Children with Cancer Foundation. The 27 June Saturday 10am to 10pm event, Food & Fashion 2009 is a mixture of fashion and gourmet food, all for a good cause. Taking part are chefs Franchesco Iaconeta, Lilia Sanchez, …

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President Leonel Fernandez all but told media directors meeting at the Presidential Palace yesterday that the Dominican government deal that involves the transfer 49% of shares in Refidomsa to the Venezuelan government petroleum company PDVSA is a done deal. There will be no tender for the shares. The deal is for US$130 million, and will …

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President Leonel Fernandez says the Ministry of Environment has asked the United Nations Development Program to channel a request to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for an environmental advisory team. The mission would determine whether a cement plant would be damaging in the location chosen by the Dominican Mining Consortium, on the edge of …

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The contract signed by Hacienda Minister Vicente Bengoa yesterday with the Brazilian government export finance agency, the National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES) in Rio de Janeiro is worth US$48 million. Also attending the signing ceremony were BNDES president Luciano Coutinho, Marco Cru, Carlos Napoleao and Marcos Machado from the Odebrecht Construction Company …

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The Central Bank has made US$300 million available to commercial banks for financing exports and their clients’ working capital requirements. The money comes from a contract signed on 27 March of this year between the Dominican government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with the Central Bank as the executor organization. Central Bank Governor Hector …

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The director of the President’s Social Plan, Emigdio Sosa has announced a new welfare program targeting motorbike taxi drivers, known in the DR as “motoconchistas.” According to El Nuevo Diario, the plan was launched with the distribution of 300 safety helmets to drivers who also received food rations during an event at the Club Calero …

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The Ministry of Hacienda says that government revenues were RD$4.3 billion lower in the first quarter of the year than estimated in the National Budget. Tax collections for January to April totaled RD$76.3 billion, or 5.4% less than the RD$80.6 billion estimate. The Tax Department (DGII) reports that revenue collections were RD$53.57 billion, or 1.4% …

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Enrique Fernandez, executive director of the Association of Concessionaires of Car Manufacturers (Acofave) estimates that new car sales are already down 50% this year, compared to 2008. He said that sales in 2008 were already much lower than in 2007. Fernandez said that his members sold 30,636 new cars in 2007. New car sales in …

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