2017 – Page 299

President Medina has called legislators back to work. Senators and Congress members were scheduled to remain in recess until after the 27 February state of the nation and Independence Day speech. The beginning of the year was also marked by the unusual extension of New Year’s holiday into the Three Kings holiday. The extraordinary legislative …

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President Danilo Medina received the vice president of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Janet Marie Smith at his office at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, 12 January 2017. She was accompanied by former Major League Baseball Dodgers player, Manuel (Manny) Mota and former Minister of Sports Felipe Payano. The Presidency reports that the purpose of the …

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First Lady Cándida Montilla will be in New York on Sunday, 15 January 2016 to represent President Danilo Medina during a mass in celebration of the Day of Our Lady of Altagracia, the protector of Dominicans. She has scheduled a series of meetings with the Dominican community in New York during her visit. The special …

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The Central Bank forecasts GDP growth in 2017 at 5.5%, compared to 6.25% for 2016. The Central Bank says there has been a slowdown in the manufacturing sector. Growth is expected to decelerate even further, reaching 5% in 2018. Inflation is expected to remain at 4.0% ± 1.0%. The Central Bank also expects the non-financial …

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The Ministry of Environment has issued a warning about the threat posed by domesticated raccoons (procyon lotor) to Dominican flora and fauna, with instructions for their capture. The Ministry also announced that the Dominican Republic has been chosen as alternate CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) representative for …

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Writing in Diario Libre on Friday, 13 January 2017, economist Pedro Silverio states that the Dominican government has not been firm enough in its demands that Odebrecht answer to the damage caused to national interests by the overcharges. He writes: “The fact that the bribes to Dominican government officials have already been confirmed is sufficient …

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Support for the Anti-Corruption March set for Sunday, 22 January 2017 is increasing as the media follows the Odebrecht saga in the Dominican Republic. In the latest development, the lobbyist who secured the contracts has said that the Odebrecht has described the US$92 million as bribes to Dominican government officials in return for securing US$163 …

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Attorney General Jean-Alain Rodríguez says that lobbyist Angel Rondón will have to provide proof that the US$92 million he admits having received from the Dominican government was for legitimate services from 2001 to 2014. Rondón says he was paid these fees for his work of securing successful contract work for Odebrecht as the company’s representative …

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In an interview with Listín Diario, the executive vice president of the Dominican Public Electricity Corporation, engineer Rubén Jiménez Bichara shares details of the tender that awarded the construction of the US$2 billion plus coal-fired power plant in Punta Catalina, Peravia province. The plant will have the capacity to generate 720 megawatts and is scheduled …

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The executive director of Participación Ciudadana (PC), Rosalía Sosa, is calling on everyone to join in the “Anti Impunity March” set for Sunday, 22 January. The march has been organized in demand of a thorough investigation and to call for all involved in the Odebrecht corruption scandal to be given a fair trial. In that …

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