President Leonel Fernandez was presented with the Association of Herrera Industries (AEIH) "Promoter of National Industry" award at a ceremony held yesterday.
George Arzeno Brugal received the "Industrialist of the Year" award, and the Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana (Presidente beer brewery) was honored for making the "Best Use of New Technology." This was the AEIH's 11th awards ceremony.
Bartolome Gamundi Cestero received the award for "Industrialist with the Most Outstanding Performance Abroad," and Falconbridge Dominicana was named "Exporter of the Year." Antonio Najri was also honored for his business track record.
Upon receiving the award from AIRD president Jesus Moreno, President Fernandez stressed the need for a strategic alliance between the state and productive sectors. He said that if he is re-elected he would propose that an industrial guarantee for Dominican industries will be included in the next budget. He expressed his belief that local companies could renovate their machinery and equipment to incorporate new technologies, and that this equipment could be imported duty free.
As Easter Week (16-22 March) approaches, the Civil Defense office has issued its yearly notification of beach and swimming-hole closures to ensure public safety. This year, 132 sites will be closed to the public during Easter Week. The list includes beaches and fresh water areas where people tend to congregate. The closures are part of the program drawn up by the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) for Easter Week 2008. The entire list can be found at www.listindiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=51348. A total of 1,212 aid posts of various sizes will be set up all across the Dominican Republic to serve the public during the week. According to the COE a total of 12,120 volunteers will staff the posts stationed along highways, beaches and bathing areas.
Venezuelan company Vetra Energy, based in Costa Rica, has been selected to carry out the appraisal of the Shell Oil Company's holdings in the Dominican Refinery, according to an announcement from the Minister of Hacienda, Vicente Bengoa. The appraisal will be used as the basis for the government offer to purchase the outstanding 50% stake in the refinery. Bengoa said that the entire process should be finished by the end of April.
The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Melanio Paredes, confirmed yesterday that the high oil prices "have shocked" Dominican officials, and represent a RD$25 million per month increase in the cost of the electricity subsidies. With oil prices closing at US$109.72 a barrel on the NY Commodities Exchange yesterday, Paredes said that President Fernandez had called him "to analyze the impact of these prices on the country's other markets, such as goods and services, transportation and foodstuffs". Paredes revealed that the petroleum product taken as a reference point for calculating this year's budget was Fuel Oil #6, which was projected to cost US$67 a barrel. However, the current cost of this product is now US$72.15 a barrel and this is what is costing RD$25 million more each month.
The chief magistrate of the Supreme Court of the Dominican Republic has warned the judges responsible for carrying out the sentencing phase of the case against the individuals convicted in the Plan Renove case that all they have to do is "follow the law." Jorge Subero Isa told Hoy reporters that the judges would be irresponsible if they did not carry out their duties. He said that supposedly "the judges did not need any instructions on what they must do, especially when the law is very clear." Accordingly, now that the Supreme Court has reviewed the case, all the judges have to do is issue the sentences. The Renove case involved a swindle worth more than RD$1.9 billion.
On the other hand, Miuca presidential candidate, former attorney general and UNIBE law school dean Guillermo Moreno told El Caribe that the delays in jailing the men convicted in the Plan Renove case is an example of the weaknesses in the Dominican judicial system. "How come 10 days after the Renove sentence, the decision has not been executed?" he asks. He says that the neglect of the judge in charge of the case suggests the possibility that strong negotiations are going on behind closed doors, which he says shows that there is an unexplained interest in delaying the execution of the sentence.
The Chamber of Deputies has heard two proposals for resolutions seeking to bring in government officials for questioning about the recently exposed "CB scandal" and the still-pending Sun Land Case. The CB scandal deals with the payment of RD$3,000 and RD$4,000 monthly checks out of state funds to PLD ruling party members without authorization or transparency, and Sun Land involves the signing of 19 IOUs for a total of US$130 million designated for use in "priority construction projects" but carried out without Congressional approval. The legislative move comes from the opposition, the PRSC party and the "Cuarto Via" group. These legislators want to question Felix Bautista, the head of the government's State Public Works Supervising Engineers Office, for his role in the Sun Land case, and Luis Miguel Bonetti, essentially the President's Chief of Staff. National Treasurer Guaroa Guzman is also mentioned in the proposals. It remains to be seen whether or not the entire Chamber of Deputies, which is controlled by the ruling PLD party, will accept the proposals.
In his 2004 inaugural speech, President Leonel Fernandez warned that his government would not tolerate corruption. However, according to an article in Diario Libre, his administration has been splattered with corruption cases. The article mentions the corruption and waste of the new Supreme Court building, with accusations of links to indicted drug trafficker Quirino Paulino Castillo. Then there was the Artificial Island Case (US$450 million), Enade, a deal to give one firm the right to sell the government's real estate holdings, and a US$132 million deal to equip the National Police via the Sun Land Group. Each of these deals was put aside, although the pundits are suggesting that the US$130 million in IOUs signed by Felix Bautista are some sort of compensation for the National Police deal that fell through. Another scandal was the deal to give a Spanish company, Icasur, the right to issue vehicle inspection stickers for the Public Works Ministry. The list continues with issues in the Ministry of Finance (now the Ministry of the Hacienda) concerning RD$50 million paid to non-existent workers, RD$90 million in diverted pension funds from the Armed Forces, and the forgery of documents for work permits in Spain at the Ministry of Labor (which resulted in just one person going to jail). While the list is even longer and involving tourist areas, the Port Authority, and the Commission to Reform State Enterprises, suffice it to say that the Sun Land case is still the most prominent, since even the International Monetary Fund got involved.
The Department for the Prevention of Administrative Corruption (now DPCA, and formerly known as Depreco) has only managed to prosecute 17 suspected corruption cases out of 202 that have been filed, as reported in Diario Libre. There are, apparently, 92 cases put away in the file drawers of the office. The information was disclosed by DPCA director Octavio Lister in a report entitled "Cases received and sent to the director's office." In 2007 alone, the DPCA, which is part of the Attorney General's office, received 53 complaints on administrative issues, and of these, 26 were "filed away" - Dominican political parlance for saying that they have been conveniently 'forgotten'. These cases include the accusations of irregularities at Boca Chica municipality, where the DPCA admitted that these irregularities existed and suggested a series of administrative changes for improved administration. Another case filed away deals with a complaint about the petty cash box that controls the money deposited by family members of women in jail at Najayo Prison. Two complaints against former President Hipolito Mejia were also filed away. Another case involves the Sun Land Corporation and the Florida Sport Financial Corporation which was dropped when the contract was cancelled after a public outcry. The report also mentions 124 cases which were cleared during the current management of the office. Of these, eleven were sent to other jurisdictions for processing, and four cases were dismissed. Among the cases sent to court was the one involving RD$200 million in funds from the Pension Department of the Ministry of Hacienda (formerly Finance).
President Leonel Fernandez is riding high into the 16 May election, but a Greenberg Quinlan Rosner-Diario Libre poll shows that he does not yet have enough votes to win in the first round. A 50%+1 vote is needed for a first-round victory. If the candidates do not achieve this, a second round is organized and the candidate receiving the most votes is elected.
The Diario Libre poll, which was carried out from 20 February to 3 March and included 1,201 Dominicans eligible to vote, showed that Fernandez (PLD) leads with 49% of voting intent, followed by Miguel Vargas Maldonado (PRD) with 37% and Amable Aristy Castro (PRSC) with 9%. The same poll shows that Fernandez would defeat Vargas, 52%-43% in a second round, even if Vargas can attract most of third runner Aristy Castro's votes. The poll showed that 13% of PRSC voters would cast their vote for the PLD if their candidate did not stand a chance, while 18% of PRSC voters said they would vote for the PRD.
Mark Feierstein, vice president of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner said that the recent Diario Libre survey results indicate that Dominicans still perceive the previous Hipolito Mejia government as more corrupt than the present administration. "The baggage of Hipolito Mejia's legacy is still too heavy in the PRD," he said in an interview published in Diario Libre. The newspaper points out that despite the recent Fernandez administration corruption scandals, Fernandez's government still has majority support. The survey showed that 56% believed that Mejia's administration was more corrupt than the present government.
The same poll shows that 70% of Dominicans approve of the metro. Another finding is that most Dominicans feel that Fernandez is out of touch with the average Dominican. Diario Libre points out that opposition party candidate Miguel Vargas Maldonado's recent observation that Fernandez lives on a "fantasy island" is shared by many voters.
Some 63% of Dominicans would like the presidential candidates to take part in a debate, and 83% said they would watch such a debate.
Interestingly, the survey also showed that 52% of Dominicans disapprove of cockfighting as a sport, including 60% of women, and 62% of the affluent.
President Leonel Fernandez headed a distinguished list of people who attended the launch of a new book about former President Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, the dictator and iron-fisted ruler of the Dominican Republic from 1930-1961. The book, called "Trujillo: A Monarch without a Crown" (Trujillo: Monarca sin corona), was written by Euclides Gutierrez Felix and published by Editora Corripio. The author said that the book contains unpublished photographs and new documents, and reveals Trujillo as a "typical expression of the Dominican people, even in his aggressiveness and intolerance." Gutierrez Felix is the only living Dominican politician who had personal contact with Trujillo, Joaquin Balaguer, Fidel Castro and Juan Bosch, for whom he served as an assistant for 22 years.
The Round Table of the Commonwealth Countries in the Dominican Republic celebrated this year's Commonwealth Day at the auditorium of the Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo University (INTEC). The event was attended by professors, students, members, business representatives and friends of the Round Table. Dr Miguel Escala, president of INTEC, Fernando Rainieri, former president of Canadian-Dominican Chamber of Commerce and Marcos Pena, vice president of the British Chamber of Commerce spoke at the event. British Consul Scott Melling read a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The president of the Round Table and Honorary Consul of India, Fernando Gonzalez then spoke about the Commonwealth and its impact on the Dominican Economy.
Main poultry production centers are firing more workers as the import ban imposed by Haiti continues to cause losses for local chicken and egg producers. The president of the local producers association, Jose Lopez, told Listin Diario reporter Ricardo Santana that the Haitian embargo on poultry and eggs from the Dominican Republic is having very negative effects on the sector. Because of this, poultry farmers are adjusting their production schedules and reducing their personnel. According to Lopez, "there have been many firings in the farms and, unfortunately, most of those affected are Haitian." Lopez added that the staff reductions have also affected Dominican workers. The poultry industry is still losing money according to the association, with prices reaching just RD$17 pesos a pound at the farm, while costs are estimated at RD$24 or RD$25 pesos per pound.
The Tourist Terminal at Sans Souci, on the eastern side of the Ozama River, is nearing completion. The first stage of the cruise ship facility includes a rebuilt wharf and tourist reception area and various other nautical features that cost an estimated US$50,000,000 according to Diario Libre. The work progress report on the new San Souci Tourist Dock was issued by group president, Lisandro Macarrulla. He said that the Don Diego Terminal Building on the west side of the river had received 150,000 passengers over the past year, and the new facility was designed to handle over one million passengers over the next five years. The new three-story terminal will be the most modern and functional in the region, according to Macarrulla.
Super Mercados Nacional is advertising 40% off on all sorts of peppers, and 20% off all vegetables and fruits.
Bravo supermarket has 2 x 1 on lettuce, green bananas for RD$6.45lb, Pollock filets for RD$104.95/12 oz bag, Norwegian codfish for RD$67.95lb, Red Globe grapes for RD$69.95.
Super Pola is advertising 35% off fruits and vegetables.
Carrefour is advertising bugaloo tomatoes for RD$7.95lb, pineapples for RD$16.95ea, squash for RD$12.95, peppers for RD$8.95lb, and more sales on fruits and vegetables today.
La Cadena sells salad tomatoes for RD$9.95lb, yellow onions for RD$14.95lb, plums for RD$49.95lb, green bananas for RD$2.95ea, Red Globe grapes for RD$69.95lb, garlic for RD$36.95lb.
Americana Departamentos has a RD$3,995 package for a BBQ, camping table with umbrella and benches, mat for floor, charcoal, and picnic basket.
Reid & Compania is promoting the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited Diesel for US$57,000, Jeep Compass Sport 4wd for US$32,000, Dodge Durango SXT 2wd for US$43,000, Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo for US$46,000, Jeep Patriot 2wd Sport for US$30,500.
Santo Domingo Motors is advertising sales on its Nissan vehicles for Easter.
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