2009 – Page 198

The Ministry of Public Health says that it will be ready to begin testing for suspected flu cases next Wednesday. New equipment to carry out the tests, which arrived in the country yesterday, is being installed at the Dominican-Japanese Friendship Medical Center at the Luis Eduardo Aybar Public Hospital. Up until now, samples for testing …

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The Ministry of Public Works says it has reopened the Casabito route to Constanza but passage is limited to a schedule. The main road to the central mountain valley had been closed for a week following a landslide. Public Works Minister Victor Diaz Rua said that Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction company in charge of repairing …

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State-run Electricity Companies (CDEEE) vice president Radhames Segura is denying reports that the government has purchased a controlling stake in the EDE-Este energy distribution company. He says that negotiations are still under way. Segura says a confidentiality agreement has been signed between both parties as a way of limiting information from getting out until the …

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A study by international consulting firm Adam Smith Institute for the Dominican State-run Electricity Companies (CDEEE) reveals that the country needs to install 3,135 megawatts of power between 2009 and 2016 if it is to keep up with its energy needs. Currently 1,776.4 megawatts are available, which means that generation needs to increase by 176.4%, …

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Trade between the DR and Taiwan was up 21.33% last year compared to 2007, says Chang Chun Ping of the Taiwan Embassy. As reported in Hoy, the Embassy imported US$61.99 million worth of products from the DR. The DR exported scrap metal, medical instruments, rubber soled shoes, train rail elements and electrical protectors to Taiwan. …

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Writing in Diario Libre, Alejandro Fernandez responds to US President Barack Obama’s pursuit of better credit card conditions for US consumers, by saying that the DR government should also look into getting better conditions for Dominican credit card holders. He says that according to the last report from the Superintendence of Banks, more than 1.5 …

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Cardinal Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez claims that President Leonel Fernandez is under pressure from the US State Department, the White House, the United Nations and international organizations to modify Article 30 of the DR’s new constitution, which deals with abortion. The Cardinal, who is known for his outspoken statements, says that Fernandez has been under pressure …

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A recent study indicates that women still face unequal wages, high unemployment and segregation in the workplace. According to Deputy Minister of Women Sonia Diaz, women make up the majority of informal sector employees. According to Diaz, 54.8% of women who had a job worked in the informal sector. She made her comments during the …

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The price of fruit in city markets has dropped considerably, due to a glut of fresh produce that has hit the markets. Prices are about 25%-50% lower than some months ago. The wholesale market prices are usually marked up by 30%, but these prices can be obtained during the sales days of the big supermarket …

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A helicopter en route from Bavaro, Punta Cana to Santo Domingo crashed in Batey Altagracia in Cumayasa, La Romana, killing the pilot, Navy Lt. Miguel Angel Perez Guerrero. The Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) announced that the helicopter was flying to Santo Domingo when it crashed at 10:20am. The helicopter had only flown for 10 …

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