| Daily News - Friday, 14 March 2008 |
President Leonel Fernandez received diplomatic credentials from five new ambassadors to the DR yesterday.
The new Papal Nuncio, Monsignor Jozaf Weslowski, will represent the Vatican in the DR. Born in Poland in 1948, he has served in South Africa, Costa Rica, Japan, Switzerland, India and Scandinavia. He speaks Spanish.
The new Taiwanese ambassador, Tsai Meng-Hung, also speaks Spanish. Prior to his appointment he was director of the Central and South American department of Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Relations and the representative of the Taipei economic and cultural office in Mexico.
The new ambassador of the Netherlands, Aart Jan M. Verdegaal has been a career diplomat since 1976, and has served in Peru, Indonesia, Finland and Austria.
Other diplomats who presented credentials were Janos Horvat for Hungary, and Vu Chi Cong for Vietnam, who previously served as his country's ambassador in Australia.
Some 31,000 men and women from first response units are being posted at highways and vacation destinations during Easter Week to help citizens in emergency situations. First responders will be ready beginning 20 March and the efforts include coordination between the National Police, members of the Armed Forces and volunteers at 2,125 stations around the country. As part of the preparations, the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) and the First Lady's office have published a pamphlet with 31 tips on how to stay safe this holiday weekend.
Easter Week is the peak for domestic travel. Most hotels are reporting they are fully booked, especially for the Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday long weekend. Schools are off in the DR from Monday, 16 March for the week. Major stores are offering sales of items used for preparing barbecues, camping and cooking for friends and family when away.
Tourism in 2008 could exceed 2007 figures, according to Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez. During the first two months of the year 725,238 visitors came to the DR. This is a 9.14% increase in travelers compared to the same period in 2007. He highlighted that Central Bank figures indicate that in February alone 372,002 visitors came to the country, a 12.74% increase on last year's figures. During the first two months of the year Canadians made up the largest number of visitors with 13.9% followed by US travelers, 10%, and Europe, 2.12%. Russia, 9.3%, Belgium, 7.2%, and Great Britain, 2.7%. Jimenez says that this increase in travel has come about thanks to the government's increased spending on publicity, adding that during the last three years the average spending on tourism promotion was about US$23.3 million.
Central Electoral Board Judge (JCE) judge Aura Celeste Fernandez was the only judge to react to Participacion Ciudadana's (PC) request that the PLD explain the CB scandal, for the party's electoral campaign allocation to be withheld until an investigation into the scandal is complete and for the party to pay back the money that was paid out to unemployed PLD members out of state funds. Fernandez, quoted in Hoy, said that the severity of PC's claims means that the JCE needs to take a long, hard look at the matter. She then urged PC to present a formal complaint to the JCE. Fernandez said that neither the JCE nor the country's citizens should accept the use of "dirty tactics" during electoral campaigns.
A report in Listin Diario gives the reasons why public works are not insured, despite the country's vulnerability to hurricanes in the Caribbean. The reasons range from overvalued works, bad construction practices, cutting corners and a lack of guarantees on the quality of the materials. While none of the sources interviewed was willing to go on the record with their comments, the reporter mentions that in general, government works are assigned directly, without a tender. Insurance companies require a tender to be held if they are to provide coverage. On the question of overvalued public works projects, the reporter explains that the final cost often ends up being three times the real cost. The insurance company would assess the property, and would need to use the real value for the coverage, exposing the overvaluation. The reporter also mentions that the government department in charge of supervising the construction of public works carried out by the Ministry of Public Works has taken on the role of builder. Furthermore, insurance companies verify the quality of the materials used, which would again reveal any violations of minimum building standards. The poor quality of recent public works projects was in the spotlight in the wake of Tropical Storms Noel and Olga, when several bridges built in the past 10 years collapsed, while 50-year old bridges have survived repeated storms.
Five of the six men convicted in the Plan Renove public transport corruption case are in jail, three weeks after the order had initially been given. Hoy reports that yesterday afternoon the five were transported to Najayo jail in San Cristobal where they will serve their sentences. Antonio Marte has been sentenced to three years in jail while Blas Peralta, who claimed to be suffering health problems, has been sentenced to six months in prison and a RD$8 million fine. Milciades Amaro Guzman has been sentenced to three years in prison while Gervasio de la Rosa will serve two years and pay a RD$3 million fine. Fabio Ruiz has been sentenced to four years in jail and payment of an RD$10 million fine while Antonio Reynoso will spend six months in jail. Freddy Mendez, also convicted in the Renove case, will be spending six months under house arrest.
International oil prices have reached the all-time high of US$110 per barrel on the NY commodities market and US$106 on the London commodities market. Add to this the slight decrease in the strength of the US dollar (EU1 = US$1.56) and concerns of a recession in the US economy and the economic outlook for many nations, especially those with strong dependencies on the US market, is worrisome. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, 71% of a total of 51 economists interviewed expect the US to enter a recession. Concerns about high gas prices in the DR are leading some drivers to consider converting their vehicle's fuel systems from gasoline or diesel fuel to propane. The price of a gallon of propane is RD$67 (with the government subsidy) and without the government subsidy the price of a gallon would be around RD$81.
PLD and PRD deputies representing Santo Domingo North have signed a non-aggression pact to prevent clashes between rival supporters, at least in their part of Santo Domingo, during this year's electoral campaigning. Officials are asking for similar agreements to be signed by PLD and PRD members around the country. The pact is the latest attempt to maintain the peace during campaigning in the remaining 64 days before the 16 May elections, but a pact does not bring guarantees. Political violence is part of Dominican political history and just last week three people were shot during a PLD campaign rally. No arrests have been made in that case.
Onil Abreu Tabar and Julio Alvarez from the National Energy Commission (CNE), who were in Washington, D.C. representing the DR at an international conference on biofuels say that if State Sugar Council (CEA) lands were used to produce more sugar, the country would be able to export 70% of the ethanol produced to the US. They told Listin Diario that the DR has the capacity to produce 100 million gallons of ethanol fuel per year on CEA lands. Due to the increased demand for fuels and the need to wean the country off its dependency on petroleum, the DR has begun to move towards more efficient forms of fuel. On 27 February 2008 President Leonel Fernandez announced that the Vicini and Fanjul Groups would make a joint investment of US$500 million to install ethanol production plants with a 50 million-gallon production capacity. The project could in fact produce 100,000 tons of sugar and generate 70 MW of energy. The DR has also been chosen to be part of a joint US/Brazil program to study the feasibility of mixing ethanol with traditional fuels. The fact that the sugar cane will be cultivated on lands that are not currently in use removes the risk of using sugar cane that would have otherwise been used for human consumption.
Listin Diario reports that a group of 50 young people dressed as mime artists demonstrated in front of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) yesterday. The young demonstrators held up placards and demanded that the government answer to the charges of corruption in the controversial Sun Land corruption scandal. The protesters used mime to show their displeasure about the case and acted out allusions to the Sun Land case.
Super Pola supermarket is advertising seafood and fish sales.
La Cadena supermarket is advertising special prices on all ingredients for preparing hamburgers and hotdogs for the weekend and Easter.
Piruleta children and teen clothing is advertising 50% off. They are located on Av. Tiradentes corner Fantino Faco, Plaza Naco (2nd floor of Mundo del Juguete).
Supermercado Nacional is offering many specials in its seafood and fish department.
Bravo supermarket is advertising sales of coolers for camping and beach.
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