JULY 2008

The users of public transport are worried

Because of possible prices’ increases

Santiago. –The announcement made by the various trade unions of the public transport as for an inevitable increase in the prices of the journeys caused the concern of the users of public transport who required on behalf of the authorities to undertake actions to avoid ruining their wallet.

Although the subject of pay rise was described as inopportune by the directors of the Employers’ Confederation, according to the transport users, a readjustment of the wages would be the only way to deal with the avalanche of prices in rise.

For this reason, the working mass claims to the government and the authorities to examine the wages and to start the negotiations relative on this subject.

Currently, the users of public transport must invest about forty percent and more of their salaries to cover the cost of the transports and a new rise would double these expenses.

The call of the workers is approved by the trade unions of the drivers, whose principal directors, in addition to thinking that the raising of prices of the journeys is inescapable, indicated that a readjustment of the wages would be the most convenient measurement to mitigate the situation.

El Libelo, by Luz Bregman, 02.07.08

President Fernández will deliver 512 residences in Santiago

For the victims of the tropical storm Olga

SANTIAGO. - President Leonel Fernández will head today the ceremony of inauguration of the complex of residences Villa Liberación-La Herradura, built by the Government for the victims of Olga.

This complex which was built in three months by the Housing National Institute (INVI) with an investment higher than 377 million pesos, is composed of 512 residences which will accommodate the families who lost their houses following the natural phenomenon which affected the country on December 12, last year.

The construction of 204 others apartments will start in the next days.

The 32 buildings of two levels which the agent will give to the families who was living in vulnerable sectors at the Yaque del Norte River side are composed of six and eight apartments.

The residences are equipped with two rooms, dining room, bathroom, sewers, drinking water and electrical energy, as described by an informative note of the Sub direction of Information and Press of Santiago managed by Grey Núñez.

Among other facilities, the complex is composed of common sectors, external lights, a water treatment plant, car parks and of a vast green zone.

Listín Diario, by Pedro Jiménez, 03.07.08

The Town council of Santiago builds a Community school

A work receiving a lot of support

The President of the Street Action, Milagros De Jesús de Féliz, explained that the Town council of Santiago builds a Community school of nine classrooms, for the children and the teenagers in situation of vulnerability and who participate to the programs of the Educational Foundation in Yaguita de Pastor.

This important work will accommodate children, teenagers and their respective families in the mode of a Community centre. In this space we will organize rooms for the school homework, for meetings of psychological support, elimination of illiteracy, of school insertion, legal support, health, remedial classes and workshops for the families of the Community of this sector, she specified.

She said that thanks to the contribution of the Town council of Santiago directed by Mayor Jose Enrique Sued, one reinforced the educational and Community actions of Street Action, for the benefit of the families and of the children and adolescents in situation of social risk in Yaguita de Pastor and in the close Communities.

Our syndic joined the effort of the directors and the entire human team of Street Action so that we have our own space and to reinforce the programs which benefit the childhood in situation of social risk, children for whom we fight to prepare them for the future, commented De Féliz.

El Nuevo Diario, by Marcelo Peralta, 07.07.08

A different option for the summer

Courtyard by Marriott Santiago

For the people who would like to spend a summer out of the common run, in a hotel which guarantees attentions of the first quality and a very good service in order to enjoy the best from the Santiago city and the Northern area of the country, Courtyard By Marriott Santiago is the best option.

The hotel presented its proposal for this summer within the framework of the tenth edition of the Exhibition Fair of the Tourism Industry « Expoturismo Santiago 2008 », which took place recently.

Courtyard by Marriott Santiago has a strategic situation at five minutes of the Cibao International airport and at only eight minutes of the town center of Santiago, which facilitates the interior tourism for the visitor who seeks to better knowing this area of the country.

The Cibao is an area where the natural wealth and the quality of its inhabitants abound, this is why it is an excellent opportunity to visit the town of Santiago this summer and to enjoy its night life, its international gastronomy and its historic and cultural monuments, expressed Mrs Katy Lizardo de Contreras, General Manager of the establishment.

Courtyard By Marriott Santiago is the first hotel of the city belonging to an international chain of prestige, which guarantees the standardization and the coherence of the services offered to the customers.

The hotel was recently rewarded at the annual convention of the managing directors from Marriott International as « Platinium Hotel », for its operational effectiveness and the high percentage of customer satisfaction as for the service, the hospitality and the hotel conditions.

Diario Digital, 09.07.08

The « LIVE » Websites extend their national cover

15 new sites on the Dominican Republic from September 1rst.

After Santo Domingo, Santiago, Las Terrenas, Samaná and Dominican Republic, the « LIVE » Websites are upgrading their communication and their extension in the country with the new Websites of Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Bávaro, La Romana and Las Galeras as from September 1rst.

The transfer of the 15 existing sites on a new and more powerful server better adapted to the future prospects of the « LIVE » Websites obliged us this to stop putting online and we apologize for these inconveniences.

Fron now on, you will find our news and information services and they will be not less than 30 « LIVE » sites which will be online as of September 1rst to inform you on the Dominican Republic, area by area and city by city.

We wish you a good surf ! Thanks you for visiting us.

LIVE Websites staff, 10.07.08

The JCE Center of Santiago delivers Acts of Civil Status

For all the communes of the country

Santiago- The Center of Services and Legalizations of the Central Electoral Board having its headquarters in Santiago, has started for Monday to deliver Acts of Civil Status to the citizens of any commune of the country, without need to move or send the documents to Santo Domingo.

Doctor Avelino Guzmán, director of the center, indicated that this is a great step carried out by the Central Electoral Board as for this type of service for all the citizens born in Dominican Republic.

He indicated that previously, the steps to obtain Acts of Civil Status could last several days and that often; they had to sent the documents and the people to Santo Domingo for ends of legalization.

Any citizen, who was born in any area of the country, can come here to request his act and we solve the problem in few hours ; Guzmán expressed.

He reiterated that with this provision, the Central Electoral Board solves the economic problem and the troubles which represented for the citizens to go to Santo Domingo or in any other locality of the country.

Guzmán said that the offices of the services center, located on the first floor of the Central Electoral Board premises, are open from 08:00 am to 04:00 pm from Monday to Friday.

El Libelo, Narciso Perez, 11.07.08

Lower water level of the Tavera-Bao dams

Drought

Santiago. – Because of the fall of the level of the Tavera-Bao dams, CORAASAN requires from the population of Santiago not wasting water. The Corporation of the Aqueducts and the Sewers of Santiago (CORAASAN), exhorted the population to ration the water, because of the reduction in the water levels of the Tavera-Bao dams due to the drought which consequently caused a reduction in the water production of 20 million daily gallons compared to the normal.

In a press report, the corporation explains that to distribute the water in a equitable manner, CORAASAN implements programs of regulation on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, to reinforce the critical zones like Licey, Tamboril, Puñal, the southern zone and the high part of the high like Cerros de Gurabo and the Santiago-Navarrete higway. As the level continues to go down, the deficit of the production increases and consequently deficit of distribution too, this is why it is essential that the population is conscious of this situation and uses the invaluable liquid in a rational way.

The complex of Tavera-Bao represents the 85 percent of all the water collected by CORAASAN for making it drinkable and for its distribution and the maximum level of the dams is of 327.50 meters above the sea level.

The minimal level to collect water needed by CORAASAN is of 320 meters above the sea level, but currently the level of the dams is of 316.35 of meters.

If the fall of the level continues and reaches 312 meters, the Tavera and Bao dams will be disconnected and there will remain only provisioning limited to Bao, which would represent a deficit of 30 million daily gallons and what would oblige to implement much more strict rules.

El Nuevo Diario, by Marcelo Peralta, 14.07.08

The leaders of the drivers ask for the cessation of the « pirates » activities

Services of concho and taxis of Santiago

The leaders of drivers associations met in the Block of the Organization of the Transport of Cibao (BLOTRANCI) and requested on behalf of the competent authorities the suspension of the activities of « the pirates » who work as local taxis because their inclusion in this sector causes serious problems to hundreds of organized drivers.

After a walk which started from the Avenue February 27, the leaders of the drivers organized a picket in front of the offices of the Urban Traffic of the Town hall, where they delivered a document to the persons in charge of this organization, in which they claim to put an end to the illegal activity of the « pirates » in the streets.

Vicente Almonte, Santiago Rodríguez, Julián Núñez and Amancio Polanco explained separately that the « pirates » discredit the work of the public drivers and of the taxi drivers since some made attacks and robberies against the customers.

They said that the taxi drivers, who pay taxes and are compliant with the laws, cannot approach the customers in the town centre anymore because the « pirates » took their place under the indifferent attitude of the municipal authorities.

They indicated that the drivers of the various roads of the urban area did not either succeed in facing this problem.

They claimed that these people are put out of the circulation because in the contrary case, there would be confrontations with the driver’s trade unions.

El Libelo, 15.07.08

COPA Airlines celebrates its two years of service

Cibao International Airport

The chief executives express their satisfaction as for the service offered by the COPA Airlines Company, which proposes flights from Panama to 41 destinations of 22 countries of North, Center and South of America and of the Caribbean, and which celebrated its second year of operations in the International Airport of Cibao.

The managing director of the company, Víctor Suárez and Miguelina Miguel, director of the Operations, expressed their satisfaction for the service offered in the airport terminal since the beginning of their operations.

In the same way, they expressed their commitment to continue to offer all the facilities and the excellent services which characterize the company.

Héctor Alcántara, executive of the company, thanked the executives of the Cibao Airport for the support provided during the two years of continuous operations to and from this terminal.

In order to extend its offer, COPA made strategic alliances with other airline companies, among them Continental Airlines, which includes the program of frequent traveler One Pass, the access to Presidents Clubs around the world and access to more than 500 global destinations.

The company maintains also its alliance with Aerorepública, associated with COPA Holdings, which is the second airline company of Colombia.

El Caribe, by Yanessi Espinal, 16.07.08

The Companies’ managers see positively the measures announced by LF

They say that the crisis that the country has to face is a challenge for the Dominicans

SANTIAGO. - The contractors of this province gathered in the Commercial and Production Chamber of Santiago qualified yesterday as positive the measures announced by president Leonel Fernández to face the crisis which the country is undergoing.

Among the measures announced by the government appear a raise of 15% for the employees who gain a wage lower than 30 thousand pesos per month as well as other actions within the framework of transport, agriculture and of the social programs.

The president of the Chamber, Ricardo Fondeur, stated that the proposals presented by the agent in his speech of Thursday are integral, but that their results will depend on the effectiveness in their implementation.

The expectancies which were generated by the speech of the President, we must transform them into a compatriotic call which commits us to face the challenges that represents this crisis for our nation; Fondeur said.

He supported that currently the Dominican Republic has the capacities to face this crisis thanks to the democratic stability, the social peace and the economic development of the country.

However, he indicated that the saving obtained during the year 2007 had to be used to solve the problems caused by the storms Olga and Noel which had an impact on the national territory.

Since we are again in hurricane season, it is necessary that the Government clearly establishes a control of the dams and maintains the population informed to avoid new damages which consume the saving obtained in the public funds with so many sacrifices expressed Fondeur.

He also supported that the public-private alliance suggested by Fernández to face the food crisis constitutes an excellent occasion to start again agriculture but with sufficient energies to produce a major change in the agricultural production and agro-industrial transformation.

However, he indicated that regarding the electric sector, the task to make pay the energy consumption by the users who do not pay it is still pending and that it would be necessary to avoid new distortions which like the PRA produced an unfair competition between the enterprises.

Diario Libre, by Cornelio Batista, 18.07.08

Raise

A new burden for the Town hall

Santiago. – The increase of 15 percent of the wages of all the public employees who earn 30 thousand pesos, will mean for the Town hall of Santiago a distribution of more than four million pesos, revealed this Monday the mayor Jose Enrique Sued Sem.

The civil servant claimed once more to the government of President Leonel Fernández that, in order to respect this pay rise, it grants special entries for the municipal institutions of the country or that it restores the 10% percent granted by the law.

Sued Sem agrees that the employees of the official sector receive a pay rise but says that the agent would have to inform on how one would obtain the resources to be compliant with this obligation.

While waiting for a solution, the mayor said that the administration should spend 4 million 758 thousand 661 pesos and 17 centimes per month to satisfy the raise for the 2 thousand 870 employees of the institution.

What represents more than 57 million pesos per year and which implies new burdens for the Town hall which is already in a difficult situation because of the continuous increases in the fuels prices.

In the Town hall, there are thousand 695 employees who earn less than five thousand pesos.

He recalled that the situation of the municipal institutions of the country is extremely precarious following the repeated increases in the fuel prices, especially of the gas oil which is the most consumed by the municipal equipments.

Sued had to cut the gasoline and of gas oil assignments of the civil servants to reduce the expenses and to be able to maintain the services which the town hall provides to the inhabitants, like the garbage collection and the repair of the streets, among others.

El Libelo, 22.07.08

Baseball Olympic Tournament of Santiago

The final starts today

Santiago. - Today starts the Final Series of the Tournament of Higher Olympic Baseball of Santiago, between the team of Linda-Navarrete, champions of the preceding tournament against the Platanal team, representing the commune of La Canela.

Platanal is in the search of revenge because they were beaten last year in the final series. The final which will be played in seven parts and will start at seven o’clock this evening at the Cibao Stadium of Santiago.

The ceremony before the party will see the journalist Adis Burgos performing the baseball throwing of honor.

Diario Libre, 23.07.08

The Mayor of Santiago improves security in the public parks

Program against the delinquency

The syndic of Santiago, Jose Enrique Sued Sem, implemented strict security rules in the parks of Santiago and established that they will not be open to the public as from 11 p.m.

This within the framework of a program against the delinquency, the immoral actions, the drugs consumption and sale and any types of robberies.

Sued Sem affirmed that he is respectful of the freedom of movement of the people, as described in the Constitution of the Republic, but which he will not hesitate to regulate the behavior and the control of the inhabitants of Santiago.

We established strict security measures in the public places and nobody will be able to penetrate any more in the parks after 11 p.m., because our mission is to preserve the integrity of the society underlined the mayor.

We cannot allow that the parks are used for illicit facts, drug traffic and consumption, stealing of electric cables etc… and consequently, security will be aggressive and permanent in order to protect quietness and peace of the population and the conservation of the historical and cultural heritage of Santiago ; Sued Sem underlined.

He says that it is precisely by guaranteeing a constant democratic system respecting the rights and the duties of the citizens that one ensures behaviors in agreement with the Constitution of the Republic.

La Información, by Ignacio Guerrero, 24.07.08

Eleven Internet centers closed

Illegal Internet and call centers in Santiago

The Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel), closed eleven companies of telecommunications in Santiago which operated as call and Internet centers without legal authorization thus in violation with the Law 153-98 which regulates the telecommunications in the country.

Management of Inspection of Indotel informed that it received denunciations of dealer representatives of Mundo 1 Telecom, S.A. and of Tecnología DIGITAL, S.A. (DGTEC) on the illegal operation and the realization of contrary practices to the General Law of Telecommunications, of some call and Internet centers of the Santiago province.

Indotel explained that these Internet centers offered the resale of minutes of call and Internet service in violation with the legal procedures which require the inscription in a Special Register allowing selling this service.

The company added that while operating in margin of the law, these businesses proposed very low prices, very lower that the average of the market, which according to the regulating entity Cause serious upheavals and damage to the free competition in the sector of telecommunications and to the dealers of these services.

Diario 55, 25.07.08

Education Secretariat inaugurates ten schools in Santiago

An investment of 197.4 million pesos

SANTIAGO. - With an investment of 197.4 million pesos, the secretary of Education, Alejandrina Germán, inaugurated today ten educational centers in the province and consequently 148 new classrooms will be operational for the next school year which starts on August 18.

Germán directed the inaugural ceremonies in the educational centers Canta La Carretera, Los Polanco, Haina, Herminia Pérez, Villa Liberación, Carlos Díaz, Pedro María Espaillat, Isaías Franco and Juan Ovidio Paulino.

The educational centers have between eight and twelve classrooms each one and they will be used for the Initial Basic and Medium level as well as for methods for Adults and Professional Technicians.

For Wednesday of the past week the educational portfolio has started a new stage of inaugurations, in which it already delivered 36 schools in the province of Santiago, of Santo Domingo, San Cristóbal and Azua.

The new educational centers guarantee appropriate spaces to the student’s population registered for the school year which will start on August 18 indicated the civil servant.

Listín Diario, 28.07.08

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