2012 – Page 70

According to quarterly projections released by the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook, Haiti, Suriname and the Dominican Republic will have the Caribbean’s highest GDP growth rates in 2012. Haiti takes first place and is projected to grow 4.5% this year, although that is lower than the 6% GDP growth rate projected in a recent …

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The Minister for Economy, Planning and Development, Temistocles Montas, announced that there would be a reduction in the diplomatic and consular staff this month in order to decrease public spending. For many years, news reports have pointing to hundreds of political appointments in foreign missions, including people who are appointed to foreign embassies but spend …

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The chief economist of the opposition PRD, Arturo Martinez Moya, read out a document at yesterday’s meeting of the Economic and Social Council that is studying the taxation increase proposal presented by the Medina administration where he accuses former President Leonel Fernandez of causing a fiscal crisis that is four times greater than the banking …

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The Internet hacking group Dominican Anonymous has attacked the Tax Office (DGII) website in protest at the proposed tax reform, as reported in El Nuevo Diario. They are also reported to have hacked the sites of the Santo Domingo Water and Sewage Company (CAASD) and the Social Subsidy Administration (ADESS) along with a site belonging …

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Minister for Public Health Freddy Hidalgo has said that the country is in the midst of a dengue epidemic and there is a need for education and guidance, the elimination of breeding grounds and more medical care. He said that to date this year there have been 5,800 cases of dengue and 12 deaths compared …

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Kate Dilson of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) has announced from Washington that it has donated US$2 billion to Haiti and US$70 million to the Dominican Republic to fight the cholera epidemic in Hispaniola. So far cholera in the two countries has caused the deaths of 7,000 people according to official figures, although it has …

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The Tender Commission of the Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE) has announced the suspension of the tender in which six companies pre-qualified to give the new authorities time to study relevant processes for the installation of up to 1,000 megawatts of generation. As reported in El Dia, the project will involve an investment of US$3 billion …

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The president of Mexican cement company Cemex in the Dominican Republic, Carlos Emilio Gonzalez and the president of Venezuelan business group BAK, Mariano Briceno, have signed an agreement to build a 760-home residential project in Santo Domingo which will combine residential, commercial, social, recreational, and educational uses. The homes will be priced as low as …

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Around twenty residents from Las Terrenas on the Samana peninsula completed a journey of more than 150 kilometers yesterday, Monday 8 October, when they arrived at the Presidential Palace after setting off from Las Terrenas on Friday, 5 October. They were protesting against the “abusive cost” of their private electricity supplier Luz y Fuerza (Light …

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According to Hoy newspaper, between 2007 and 2012 a total of 516 police and military officials were dismissed from their jobs for helping drug smugglers, most from the national police and air force, followed by the army and the navy. A number of the arrested officials were caught attempting to transport narcotics at docks, ports, …

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