2012 – Page 327

President Leonel Fernandez, First Lady Margarita Cedeno and Foreign Relations Minsiter Carlos Morales Troncoso were in northern Haiti for yesterday’s inauguration of the northern campus of the Haiti State University (UEH), donated by the Dominican government. Speaking during the event, President Fernandez told the Haitian people: “The Dominican people were with you as soon as …

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The Chamber of Deputies passed the National Development Strategy bill yesterday. It now moves to the Presidency for signing into law. The legislation makes the 4% of GDP for education obligatory as of 2013. It also states that the electricity sector needs to increase paid power service levels to 75% as of 2015, 83% for …

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Taxation increases could be forthcoming, if comments by Gerry Rice, External Relations Department director of the International Monetary Fund, are anything to go by. Answering a question from the press on 12 January on the status of the Dominican Republic-IMF Stand-by Arrangement he hinted that taxation reform was on the government agenda. An IMF special …

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The Central Bank announced yesterday it would use its foreign reserves to restrain the devaluation of the peso. The peso has lost more than the usual value over the last few days, and there is concern for ripple negative effects on price stability. The Central Bank attributed the devaluation to seasonal elements normal for the …

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Taiwan has donated RD$1.6 million for culture in the Dominican Republic. The funds mean the air conditioning system at the National Music Conservatory will be restored. The funds will also serve for the purchase of a Nissan 2000 pick-up for the National Handicrafts Center (Cenadarte) for the bamboo workshop backed by the Taiwan mission. The …

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The Ministry of Agriculture reported that during December Dominicans consumed 17,820,000 chickens, 20,497,200 pounds of pork and 110 million pounds of rice. Over the New Year festivities they consumed 93,000 pounds of pork, 142 million eggs, more than a 150 million pounds of rice, 250 million plantains and 64 million pounds of yucca. The report …

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According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), urban unemployment in the Dominican Republic stood at 5.6 percent for 2011 whilst it was 5% in 2010. This represents a marginal increase in 2011 compared to the previous year, but continues to be below the average for Latin America. Other countries below the average are Panama with …

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Following up on a government announcement that US$500 million would be spent to rid the country of cholera in the next five years, Listin Diario reports that during a visit made to specialized cholera centers early this week there were practically no patients. The number of patients has been reduced to two or three on …

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Claro and Orange began selling telecom plans for the iPhone 4S in Santo Domingo and Santiago, Listin Diario reported. The popular model was launched at midnight on Friday, 13 January at the Orange offices on Winston Churchill Avenue in Santo Domingo. Apple’s latest iPhone, with features including responding to commands with its own voice, was …

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Dominican steelmaker Complejo Metalurgico Dominicano C por A (Metaldom) is considering the possibility of becoming a key partner in a steel complex in Trinidad. Metaldom announced that a feasibility study would be carried out to look into the building a vertically integrated iron and steel complex. Metaldom, the leading steelmaker in the Dominican Republic, announced …

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