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Strike anyone? President Hipolito Mejia doubts there will be much public support for the call to a national work stoppage and peaceful protest made by the Colectivo de Organizaciones Populares. The movement protests the increasing cost of fuel, demand that private companies return ownership of the power distribution to the state, and reduce consumer prices. Juan Hubieres of Fenatrano, one of the leading spokesmen of the movements in the past, was last year bestowed with purchase orders for 432 new buses and thus his large transport union is no longer supporting any protest action. Likewise, Diogenes Castillo, of the Fenatrado trucking union that also traditionally backed the strikes, is now the director of the governmental Oficina Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses (OMSA), and his union no longer backs the call to work stoppage. With rare exceptions, the highly politicized movements have not had any real public support, as citizens are aware that the strikes achieve little outside of securing benefits for the strike organizers, such as in the case of Fenatrano and Fenatrado and other large transport unions, such as Conatra, three transporter union organizations that today can boast multimillion-peso additions to their fleets for which the government is picking up the tab of much of the cost. The public teachers union, known as the Dominican Association of Professors, said they would adhere to the strike conditions, as they prepare to be at school tomorrow but not hold any classes. Elena Viyella de Paliza, president of the National Council of Private Business (CONEP) rejected the strike. She said the initiative works against the welfare of the nation. She advocated that national problems be resolved through dialogue. |
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Executive Branch acknowledges bus debt Hoy newspaper says that it is the Central Government, not the Municipality of Santo Domingo, that must pay the debt for the first 400 of the 1,200 vehicles that the government authorized the Federacion Nacional de Transporte La Nueva Opcion (Fenatrano) to import. Former Mayor Johnny Ventura had authorized on 23 September 1999 the import of the vehicles, guaranteeing the operational funds of the city government of Santo Domingo by procuring the loan. Hoy newspaper says that the Executive Branch will accept responsibility for the debt. With Oficio 746, Technical Secretary of the Presidency Rafael Calderon told Mayor Juan de Dios Ventura in writing that the government would provide the municipality with the resources necessary to cover any default that could occur regarding payment of the loan to the governmental Banreservas. Last month Banreservas discounted RD$3.7 million from the account of the municipality of Santo Domingo, as it was authorized to do with the guarantee. The Banco de Reservas says that Fenatrano owes it RD$19 million, according to the report in Hoy. Mayor Roberto Salcedo declared that the accounts of the municipality were wiped out by the deduction made by the bank and that he could be forced to let his personnel go and close the municipality. The buses were purchased from Hyundai Americas Corporation, a company founded for the import of vehicles under the Plan Renove of the Mejia administration. The company representative is Johnny Morales, who has accompanied President Hipolito Mejia on several of his trips abroad. The Hyundai vehicles do not have the support of the Hyundai dealership in the country, Magna Motors. A bid was never held to select the vehicles. |
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The US$61.6- or US$54-million loan El Caribe newspaper questions Congress’s approval of a major loan for the construction of 115 multi-use sports installations, 10 athletic tracks and 11 wood floors for sports facilities. El Caribe opines that the real worth of the loan is US$61.6 million – the sum of US$54.1 million that will be lent by the All First Bank of Maryland, with the support of the EximBank, plus another US$7.4 million. The contractor chosen is Child Save Products. The newspaper highlights that while the documents delivered to Congress say that the plans and sites for the sports installations are specified, the legislators signed without reading the documents and the details were, in fact, not included. In giving their approval, the legislators have effectively given the government a blank check. The newspaper also questions the real address of the benefited contractor. El Caribe reports that the president of the commission of public works of the Chamber of Deputies, Alejandro Montas of the PLD, is certain government officials will receive kickbacks from the contractors and believes that the money will not be used to build new tracks, but rather to repair existing ones. He told El Caribe that the lobbyists paid US$4.8 million to get the project passed. “That is RD$100 million which would have been enough to build 30 multi-sport facilities,” he said. Montas told El Caribe that all engineers were excluded from the Chamber of Deputies commission that was formed to make recommendations regarding the bill. “We did not receive copies of the plans, nor the budgets, nor the description of the work, nor information on the work timetable. We did not receive this information because it was not in the interest of the government that we evaluate the project,” he said. Sports Minister Cesar Cedeño signed on behalf of the government and Donald Sasso of Puerto Rico on behalf of Child Save Products. No information on this company was provided. El Caribe also mentions that the address given for the company is that of Donald Sasso’s residence in Puerto Rico, whose office in the Dominican Republic is located at the Gran Hotel Lina. El Caribe interviewed Cesar Cedeño regarding the project, who explained he was not aware of the details. El Caribe points out in an editorial today that this loan is a good opportunity for President Mejia to make good on his promise to fight corruption regardless of who are involved. |
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AFP program begins Approximately 20,000 individuals have been employed in the nationwide program to enlist residents of the Dominican Republic to the pension plans under the new social security system, which became effective 1 February. Nine pension plan companies (AFPs) have been authorized to sign up the names on company payrolls, as an initial phase of the program. Employees have 90 days following 1 February to register and those who do not will be enrolled by defacto b in the AFP chosen by a majority the majority of their co-workers. The authorized private AFPs are Siembra, BBVA Crecer, Popular, Profesional, Caribalico, Porvenir, Camino and Romana. The government AFP is the Reservas. The program is slated to offer health, work risk and pension plan services as of 2 May. As of 20 May, the Social Security treasury will bill both public and private employers, with employees set to see the first deductions from their checks on 2 and 4 June of this year. Private companies will contribute 5.02 percent of employees’ wages to the plan, while the employees themselves will pay 1.98 percent of their wages into the plan in the first year. For more information, see the web site of the Social Security Treasury at http://www.tss.gov.do email ayudasiren@tss.gov.do or call 809 472-6151 and 809 472-0038. Information on the new program is also featured at http://www.dida.gov.do with the contact email dida@dida.gov.do or telephone 809 472-1900. |
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More travelers for summer The Ministry of Tourism reports that Dominican hotel companies booked 240,000 travelers for the summer during the Spanish Tourism Fair (Fitur2003) event held in Madrid, Spain. Tourism Minister Rafael Subervi announced new agreements with Agencia Abreu, a leading Portuguese tour operator, for four weekly flights from April to October. Other companies signing on additional travel groups are Viajes Marsans and Travelplan-Air Europa. During conversations that took place in Madrid at Fitur, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia and Central American tour operators also pledged to increase the number of visitors sent to the Dominican Republic. |
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Time for solar energy The Ministry of Industry and Commerce says it will invest RD$200 million this year in the installation of solar panels to reduce the dependency on petroleum imports. According to a report in Diario Libre, the department has already installed solar panel electrification systems in 41 military posts along the border and 29 computer labs in public schools. There are plans to open another 49 solar-powered computer labs this month and promises from the department to bring solar energy to 100 rural communities. The ministry says it will inaugurate solar installations to run potable water facilities in other rural communities. The solar program is being financed through a 2-percent tax on the sale of petroleum products. |
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Economic forecast for 2003 The Central Bank forecasts that the Gross Domestic Product will grow by 2.5 to 3 percent next year, with inflation estimated at 9 to 9.5 percent. Inflation this year was 9.5 percent. The monetary authorities also predict that the year will end with US$584.1 million in reserves, up from US$376 million at the end of 2002. |
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Congress on holiday for Caribbean Series Diario Libre reports that the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate have not been convened to work, despite many important bills pending study in Congress. The Executive Branch extended the duration of the present legislature, but the legislators have given priority to supporting the Dominican team competing in the Caribbean Baseball Series in Puerto Rico. The large commission of legislators that traveled to Puerto Rico includes Lila Alburquerque, president of the Chamber of Deputies, and Andres Bautista, president of the Senate. The Dominican team is the favorite to win the series this year. The Dominican team won its first game during the opening of the series. |
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Florida participates in DR development A story in the Sunday Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale, Florida highlights the increasing involvement of Floridian companies in Dominican business. Journalist Doreen Hemlock reports on the Cap Cana Jack Nicklaus golf and hotel facilities being erected on the East Coast, and the University of Central Florida hospitality school, which trains Dominicans in tourism. To read the story, see http://www.sun-sentinel.com/ and http://www.capcana.com |
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Canadian trade top brass arrive for workshop Leading executives of Canadian government pro-business and trade organizations are in Santo Domingo for the opening of the First Canada-Dominican Republic Workshop to take place starting at 8 am, Tuesday, 4 February at the Hotel Melia Santo Domingo. The event is being organized by the Dominican-Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Embassy in the Dominican Republic, with the collaboration of the Dominican Embassy in Canada and the Canadian government as well. Speakers will focus primarily on the tools and mechanisms available in Canada and the Dominican Republic to promote trade now that Canadian and Dominican trade negotiators are finalizing a free trade agreement for this year. Leading Canadian government officers coming for the event include: Alex Papadakis, senior business development officer of the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), Canada’s export contracting agency. David Goldfield, regional manager for the Andean and Caribbean Region for the Export Development Canada (EDC), which provides Canadian exporters with financing, insurance and bonding services as well as foreign market expertise. Rejean Hamel, program manager for Americas Bureau of the Canadian International Development Agency, which supports foreign-aid projects. Dwayne Wright, executive director of the Trade Facilitation Office (TFOC), established to assist Canadian importers and foreign exporters trading on the Canadian market. Dominican ambassador Eduardo Fernandez will also be one of the speakers at the event. The Canadian Embassy in the Dominican Republic estimates trade between the two countries at US$500 million a year, and Canadian investment in the DR is said to be close to US$1.4 billion. For more information, contact the Dominican-Canadian Chamber of Commerce by phone at (809) 685-1136 ext. 3351 or (809) 383-2763, or by email at ccdc@codetel.net.do |
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Former Vice President launches movement Former Vice President Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal has launched his quest for the Partido de la Liberacion Dominicana presidential nomination in the 16 May 2004 elections. Fernandez Mirabal was vice president under the Leonel Fernandez presidency from 1996-2000 and his campaign has the support of the Movimiento Nacional Somos Mas. Leonel Fernandez, however, is the leading candidate for the PLD nomination. |
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Tortured woman is recovering The police placed a permanent vigil at the San Pedro de Macoris Antonio Musa public hospital, where 20-year-old Rosa Mirtha Rosario was interned after suffering serious injuries from being beaten and tortured with an iron, electrical wires and other objects by her boyfriend. The woman was rescued by her neighbor. The man responsible for her injuries is Luis Santana Baez, alias El Panita Cojo, and is a fugitive of the police. The police ordered the round-the-clock vigil at the hospital after Santana attempted to visit the woman on Friday, but was detected by Rosario’s mother in the hospital ward, and fled. The suspect had previously threatened to torture Rosario’s 3-year-old daughter if she denounced him to police. The police also ordered round-the-clock vigil at Rosario’s parents house where her 3-year-old daughter is kept.Santana is said to be armed. This case is one of the most gruesome in a series of conjugal abuse stories that indicate alarming problems in the upbringing of Dominican men. |
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Azua’s public library Listin Diario’s Sunday edition reports on the public library of the southwestern city of Azua, the country’s only public lending library, according to the report. William Mejia, president of the Sociedad Athene, the private foundation that operates the library, says that the library receives 1,500 visitors daily and has over 35,000 books on its shelves. They have received donations from abroad, including a collection of 10,000 books contributed by the Fundacion Solidario de España. Those interested in donating books or visiting the library may contact Miguel Angel Garrido directly at the Biblioteca Municipal de Azua, by calling 521-3684. |
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Four weeks of La Vega Carnival The La Vega carnival, perhaps the most colorful carnival of the Caribbean, began on Sunday with the participation of 150 groups and about 1,000 costumed characters parading through the streets of the town. La Vega is situated about one-hour’s distance from Santo Domingo. Each Sunday in February (9, 16, 23 and 27 February), as of 3pm, the multicolored devil-like characters will mischievously seek to scare off those who dare step in their paths. The Casa de la Cultura in La Vega is housing Expo Carnival 2003, with a display of masks, costumes, and photography, as well as several carnival-related events all throughout February. |
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