2009 – Page 7

The Senate declared the legislation to be of urgent nature and after two consecutive readings approved the proposal for the Budget of Income and Law on Public Spending 2010, for an amount that reached RD$378,997,500,000. The Budget proposal was submitted by the Executive Branch and approved without modifications. The full Senate accepted the report submitted …

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A new law will allow Congress to appoint a Public Defender or Ombudsman, according to Hoy newspaper. The new law modifies the law that created the post of Public Defender. The new legislation will make it easier to vote on the designation of the official. The key point in the modification of Law 19-01 is …

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In the first government release of this information, quite common in other countries, Dominican consumers showed more confidence in October, halting a yearlong period of negativity. The CCI (Consumer Confidence Index) fell to 68.3 in October, but the outlook for the next 12 months was put at 96.9. This means that there is hope that …

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Support is gathering pace for the proposal by singer Victor Victor, political scientist Rafael Toribio and artistic promoter Cholo Brenes and others who propose including a box where voters could indicate they choose none of the candidates running in the election in the electoral ballot for the congressional and municipal elections. The promoters say this …

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International cacao prices have reached a 32-year high, but the Dominican Republic does not have a bean to sell. The price reached US$3,582 a ton for May delivery. This is the second highest level since October 1977, and is a 20% increase just this year. The president of the National Federation of Cacao Growers (Conacado) …

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According to the District Attorney for the National District Alejandro Moscoso Segarra, “We have proof that places Pelaez as a possible front woman for the fugitive Figueroa Agosto”. Moscoso Segarra, told reporters from Hoy newspaper that there was, indeed, an arrest warrant for Mary Pelaez Frappier, and said that he would proceed to obtain coercive …

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The District Attorney says that a major crime ring that forged land and property titles has been broken up and its members placed under arrest. The ring, which consists of judicial system employees, including an auditor of the Supreme Court of Justice and a colonel in the National Police, is accused of cheating baseball player …

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The Brugal-sponsored New Year’s bash in Santo Domingo, the Rumconcert, has been relocated from Avenida del Puerto to the gardens fronting the Columbus Lighthouse in eastern Santo Domingo. The organizers are confident that 50,000 to 60,000 people can be accommodated in this larger area. Brugal announced they have plans to take the concert to different …

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The Center for Exports & Investment (CEI-RD) reports that foreign investments made in 2009 had reached US$1.76 billion as of September. CEI RD forecasts that by year’s end, foreign investment should total US$2.1 billion. Eddy Martinez, director of CEI-RD, pointed to investments in the mining, real estate, telecommunications, commerce, industry and energy sectors. He said …

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Celso Marranzini VP of the State-owned Electricity Companies (CDEEE), promises that there will be zero blackouts nationwide on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (24, 25, 31 December and 1 January). He promises “100% of electricity”. On other days in the Christmas holidays, he said that 2 to 4-hour blackouts …

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