2009 – Page 276

The Dominican Republic team to the World Baseball Classic lost 6-1 against the Baltimore Orioles in the 2nd exhibition warm up game. Pitchers Johnny Cueto and Pedro Martinez were not able to contain the Orioles. See www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/…  

President Leonel Fernandez spoke at the 11th Meeting of Economists in Havana, Cuba yesterday, focusing on what he considers insufficient measures taken in view of the persistent global crisis. See his speech in Spanish at www.presidencia.gob.do/app/article.aspx?id=10496 Meanwhile, representatives of the Dominican Republic and Cuba promised to make efforts to double trade from US$100 million to …

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Fausto Rosario Adames of Clave newspaper gives some insights into President Leonel Fernandez’s recent five-day trip to Cuba, where he met with former leader Fidel Castro and President Raul Castro. Journalist Rosario Adames points out that Fernandez is just one of many Latin American statesmen who have traveled to Cuba in the last two months …

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The Ministry of Environment (SEMARENA) has issued Resolution 011-2009 that bans the hunting of native birds and mammals in the country. Environment Minister Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal specifies that the capture of wild animals for research could only be done with special permits granted for projects that had been approved by the Ministry. The resolution …

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The Ministry of Public Works reports that traffic has now been restored to Constanza. A mudslide caused by recent heavy rains had blocked the road.

The governmental Banco de Reservas has set the prime rate for the farm sector, manufacturing industries, construction, and micro, small and medium-scale businesses at 15% to 17%. The reduction is aimed at stimulating growth in the productive sectors, improving the business climate and promoting economic development. Bank administrator Daniel Toribio made the announcement during a …

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The DR’s external public debt has increased by US$485 million, a 6.6% increase compared to September 2007, reports Diario Libre. The country’s total debt now stands at US$7.85 billion, according to reports filed by the Central Bank in the National Congress. Debt from multilateral organizations contracted, as well as bilateral funding agreements, accounting for 74.7% …

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Although only in Spanish, the National Competitiveness Council’s Competitiveness watchdog website is one of the best sources for keeping a grasp on how the Dominican Republic is faring compared to the rest of the world. The website is constantly updated with new national and international reports on economic and business indicators, and local initiatives. The …

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Security issues led the Dominican Republic to have a lower acceptance by tourists, according to a report by the World Economic Forum on Tourism 2008-2009. According to El Caribe, the report is called “Competitiveness in Travel and Tourism 2009”, and the DR is ranked at number 67 of the 133 countries evaluated on 14 points …

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During his official visit to Cuba that began on Monday, President Leonel Fernandez met with former Cuban President Fidel Castro. Fernandez said they discussed the world financial crisis, problems in the DR and Latin America, Dominican history and politics and the upcoming World Baseball Classic. As reported in the Miami Herald, the Dominican President said …

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