Bottlenecks get worse for Xmas
Christmas shopping has made traffic unbearable in Santo Domingo. The delays caused by slow traffic need to be taken into consideration for any activity. Traffic jams continue until around 8pm.
Inflation at 5.66% to November
The accumulated inflation figures for the DR, registered 5.66% during the first 11 months of the year, which is slightly less than the 6.01% registered for the same period in 2008. These figures were released by the Central Bank. The CB says that 70.32% of the accumulated inflation, or 3.98 points, was due to an …
Green jobs coming
During his presentation at the Copenhagen Climate Summit, Vice President Rafael Alburquerque announced that the DR, in cooperation with the International Labor Organization (ILO), would help implement “green jobs” as a way of combating the rising unemployment rates. He said that these jobs would not only help fight unemployment, but will also help conserve the …
Doctors re-hired
Doctors Juan Suero and Senen Caba have been reinstated by the Ministry of Public Health. The announcement was made after Caba and Suero met with Minister Bautista Rojas Gomez. The two men were fired in August after a violent altercation with Dr. Roberto Lafontaine at the Francisco Moscoso Puello hospital. Rojas also announced that a …
Economic observations for 2010
Three local business organizations said that adverse international economic and financial conditions provide less cause for concern than the Fernandez administration’s excessive spending and borrowing. The president of the National Wholesalers Organization (ONEC), Pedro Perez Gonzalez, the president of the Federation of Industrial Associations (FAI), Ignacio Mendez, and the president of the Association of Herrera …
Pirate state
In today’s El Caribe lawyer Marisol Vicens Bello writes that the Dominican Republic has become a pirate state. She criticizes the fact that government officials impose their vision, “and worse still, often their own projects.” Vicens criticizes the way that many government officials only promote projects in which they are “partners.” She says this probably …
JCE recognizes parties
The Central Electoral Board (JCE) has recognized 4 new political parties and one political movement, which will now be eligible to take part in the 2010 congressional and municipal elections. This brings the total number of official parties to 26. Entities recognized are: Civic Reformer Party (PCR), headed by former General Radhames Zorilla Ozuna. Dominicans …
DR lags in human development
The level of human development in the DR is still below the average for Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the United Nations Development Program Human Development Report. The Human Development Index for the country, based on 2007 statistics is 0.777, while the average for Latin America and the Caribbean is 0.821. Overall, the …
PRD in trouble
Only a few months ago, after the pact between President Leonel Fernandez and PRD president Miguel Vargas was signed, many observers thought the PRD was a strong contender for the 2012 elections. But recent departures of key figures in the party are leaving the once formidable opponent in an unstable condition. Yesterday, former Santo Domingo …
Gas tanker blast injures 2
The lack of adequate controls for the installation of propane gas stations in urban areas again became news. Yesterday two people suffered serious burns when a propane gas tanker which was unloading10,480 gallons of gas at the Gloria Comercial station on Calle Maria Montez 36 in Villa Juana caught fire. The injured are plant supervisor …