2009 – Page 326

The Board of Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has read the Policy Letter sent by the Dominican government as part of the process of obtaining a post-program monitoring agreement. According to information from the Dominican representative at the IMF, Julio Estrella, the international organization will issue a statement confirming their approval of the …

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The Central Electoral Board (JCE) met today and agreed to extend the renewal period for personal identification cards, or “cedulas,” that expired at the end of last year until 31 July 2009. The idea is to give the JCE time to get things organized and listen to opinions about the new document. The president of …

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The president of the Dominican Association of Free Zones (ADOZONA), Fernando Capellan is hoping that the national summit conference planned for the end of the month will allow the adjustments necessary for the free zones to survive these difficult times. The top executives of the nation’s free zone companies are preparing their plan for presentation …

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The Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (SESPAS) has initiated via Resolution 0000018, a program to issue Certificates of Live Birth to all Dominicans and foreigners at public and private health centers all over the country. Public Health Minister Bautista Rojas Gomez announced that this system produces the official document certifying that a live …

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The Price Stabilization Institute (Inespre) is aiming to reach many more people and provide affordable foods to nearly 100% of the poorest households by the end of the year through of a series of programs geared to local food markets. This goal will have to be attained with a budget that is close to RD$29,000,000 …

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The official start of the whale watching season is this Thursday, 15 January, and as a new way of welcoming back these huge visitors, five buoys have been installed to record the whales’ sounds or “songs”, in order to determine the type and number of species that visit Dominican waters. According to Hoy newspaper, the …

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There were only two newsworthy baseball stories in today’s papers. The first was that Felipe Alou, the former major league manager and all-star player, announced that “The world is waiting for us to win the World Baseball Classic.” Alou, speaking to the press after a photo-op with Minister of Sports Jay Payano, said that he …

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The second story of the day was the horrendous defeat of the once high-flying Aguilas Cibaenas, last year’s champions, at the hands of the Tigres del Licey by a score of 11-1. The Aguilas have won only two of 13 games during the round robin section of the Dominican Winter League and are not, officially, …

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President Leonel Fernandez summoned a special session of Congress from 14 January to 25 February to study the major reforms he is proposing for the Constitution. The discussions are expected to take up most of legislators’ time. Constitutional reform talks have been under way for the last three years, and the 2009 undertaking would be …

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Colombian Foreign Relations Minister Jaime Bermudez is in the DR today, on an official state visit. He is in the DR at the invitation of Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso. Bermudez will attend a luncheon with local business leaders, following on from activities organized by the Dominican Embassy in Bogota in December 2008. The Dominican …

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