2009 – Page 32

The proclamation of the new Dominican constitution has been postponed until 26 January 2010. Initially scheduled for 6 November, National Constitution Day, the proclamation was put back until 10 December. Listin Diario reports that President Leonel Fernandez wants the date moved to the 26 January, which commemorates the birth date of founding father Juan Pablo …

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In the two months since numeric portability was announced, more than 9,000 cell phone users have switched service providers. Dominican Telecommunications Institute (INDOTEL) president Jose Rafael Vargas said that the minor glitches in the system that affected the process during the early stages have now been fixed. According to Vargas, there are 9 million phone …

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The electricity distributors have announced a series of scheduled power cuts throughout Santo Domingo and other parts of the DR. The distributors say they are carrying out regular maintenance on their networks. The blackouts will start and 8am and run through 5pm, and are expected to last until this Friday. Residents in the areas of …

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Once a center for sports and leisurely strolls amidst the greenery in the city of Santo Domingo, the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Stadium is “under attack.” Increased levels of pollution are a problem but most notable now is the fact that the green areas of the park are being usurped for public works projects. This …

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The Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) has ordered the immediate closing of Swfai S.A., an aviation maintenance company operating in the Hainamosa Free Trade Zone. IDAC said the company had committed several irregularities, which included the unauthorized assembly of helicopters for export. Listin Diario reports that IDAC also found falsified documents in some of the …

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A joint project by students of the UNPHU in Santo Domingo with Venezuelan company Nova Oceanic Energy Systems is among the 26 winners of the Global Competition on Climate Adaptation, as reported in Diario Libre. The project won a US$200,000 grant for implementing the project over two years, and additional funding for a US$99,215 kickoff …

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A slight decline in exports to the US could cause some discomfort, but a whopping 33.73% decrease in exports of apparel to the US is cause for major concern. The value of these exports has also fallen by 27.96%. The exports registered 277,542 million square meters of textiles during the first 9 months of 2008, …

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Raul Humberto Yzaguirre has been appointed as new US Ambassador to the DR. Yzaguirre, who was born to Mexican parents in San Juan, Texas, is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served as president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza. Yzaguirre replaces former Ambassador Robert Fannin, who …

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A new map released by the National Drug Control Department (DNCD) identifies Villa Consuelo and Capotillo as the main neighborhoods for micro drug trafficking. The map identifies a total of 15 neighborhoods as key points for this low-level drug trafficking. They include Cristo Rey, El Caliche, La Zurza, Villa Juana, Mejoramiento Social, Villa Maria, Villa …

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PRD president Miguel Vargas Maldonado was sworn in as vice president of the Socialist International at a conference being held at the Hilton Hotel in Santo Domingo yesterday. The organization, headed by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, has called on all governments to implement policies that deal directly with the international financial crisis, global warming …

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