2011 – Page 21

Ministers of economy, finance and industry and commerce of the Americas meeting in Santo Domingo for the V Competitiveness Forum signed the Consensus of Santo Domingo on Friday, agreeing to implement general competitiveness principles. The principles were reached through consensus between high-level authorities and competitiveness councils meeting of representatives at the Annual Meeting of the …

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President Leonel Fernandez has defended the right of the Palestinian National Authority to be recognized as a state by the United Nations. As reported in Listin Diario, in a statement made on Friday, Fernandez called for the Arab nations to unite so that the Palestinians and Israelis can reach an understanding because world peace depends …

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Fernandez administration officials have argued that tax burden in the DR is low, but economist Ernesto Selman of the Regional Center for Sustainable Economic Strategies now says that hidden costs make this much higher, as reported in Diario Libre. Selman says that when taking government spending and hidden costs into consideration, the public sector influence …

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The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is providing a US$30 million loan to boost the tourism production chain in the Dominican capital and generate income for residents. The new program emphasizes promoting tourism based on the city’s cultural and historical heritage and social inclusion. It provides funding for restoration of the Colonial City, which is a …

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El Caribe reports today on how the newly elected president of the Federation of Students (FED) of the state university (UASD) has cost the country over RD$430,780 despite his having only completed, in his own words, about 25% of the courses required for his medical degree. A UASD study estimates the cost per year of …

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Results of the 21-29 September poll carried out by Benenson Strategy Group show PRD presidential candidate Hipolito Mejia leading PLD candidate Danilo Medina by a reduced margin. As reported in Diario Libre, when citizens were asked how they would vote if the election were held today, 49% said they would vote for the former President, …

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On Saturday the National Drug Control Department (DNCD) announced the seizure of a 336-kilo cocaine shipment camouflaged in medical equipment that was being exported in a container of a La Romana based company through the Multimodal Caucedo Port to France. DNCD spokesman Roberto Lebron said that the drugs were seized by the Armed Force intelligence …

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Local crime authorities have arrested German national Detlef Spiess who is accused in his country for his involvement in a 47 million-euro banking fraud affecting investors in Germany, Belgium and Switzerland between 2001 and 2005, the Police reported. The 53-year old was arrested in Boca Chica over the weekend. An arrest warrant for his capture …

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Dominican open water swimming star Marcos Diaz has won the 5th Annual Ocean Recovery Alliance Clean Half, the extreme marathon swim race in Hong Kong. He set a new event record with his finish time of 3 hours 21 minutes 44 seconds in the 15 kilometers environmental race. Ranked as one of the top open …

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Dominican film, La hija natural (“Love Child”) by director Leticia Tonos, was accepted as a candidate for the Academy’s Best Foreign-Language film last week. It will be one of 60 films that will be evaluated by the Oscars committee. The drama follows a teenage girl who tracks down the father she’s never known after her …

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