APRIL 2009

Dominican President wants help to meet communities’ demands

Strategic alliance

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO.- President Leonel Fernandez proposed a strategic alliance between the State and the different sectors from the country to be able successfully to meet the communities’ social demands.

Speaking at the start of a meeting of his Cabinet gathered in the northern city, the chief executive said the solution to the current problems isn’t just the Government’s responsibility, in reference to the strikes staged in several provinces across country in the last few weeks.

The meeting with senior officials began at 11 a.m. in the Offices of Provincial Governor, where the ministers of the Economy, Temistocles Montas, and of Hacienda, Vicente Bengoa and Internal Taxes director Juan Hernandez of the measures taken to face the affects of the world financial crisis on the country.

The Cabinet has sparked expectations among business leaders who expect the chief executive to announce the restart of construction on several currently stalled works.

Dominican Today, 01.04.09

The Dominican Republic needs a greater collaboration from the United States

To fight the drug traffic

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO. - The deputy to the National Congress for the Province of Santiago, José Ricardo Taveras, rejected the declarations of the secretary of state of the United States as that violence in Dominican Republic would be due to the increase in the drug traffic.

The information revealed by the American civil servant Thomas Shannon, considers that the increase in violence over the Dominican territory was due to an increase in the operations of the drug cartel which would have extended their network in the country.

In this way, the deputy of the National Progressist Force, José Ricardo Taveras, supported that the problem of the traffic and consumption of narcotics in the districts and the communities of the country was not something new, this is why he suggested that the United States, instead of attacking, would have to help the Dominican Republic to fight this harm.

The spokesperson of the Block of the Santiago Legislators, appealed the American nation so that it revises the policy it manages with the countries which do not have the means for fighting the drug traffic in a firmer way.

Santiago Live, 06.04.09

New documentary on Juan Bosch

To premiere in Dominican Republic

BREAKING NEWS: A new documentary about the Juan Bosch presidency will premiere in theaters nationwide 16 April.

The film chronicles the main political and social events during the first months of 1963, such as the military coup, the US foreign policy under President John F Kennedy and the links with military coups in Latin America.

According to some press reviews, Bosch: President on the Imperial Front is director Rene Fortunato’s best documentary, a legacy for future generations to be able to understand the vision of the man who drafted the Constitution of 1963.

Dominican Today, 13.04.09

The CND and the Public Ministry train Community Leaders

Drug Prevention

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO. - The National council of Drugs (CND) and the Office of the Prosecutor of Santiago trained 181 community leaders with courses, conferences and orientations around the prevention of drug-addiction.

This activity was directed by Domingo Deprat, Northern regional director of the CND and Raúl Martínez, fiscal of Santiago; while were present too special guests like Diógenes Checo, technical chief officer of the anti drug agency; colonels de la Cruz, of AMET and Manual Antonio Jiménez, director of the Northern Division of the DNCD; and Vielka Calderón, Prosecutor of the Court of Appeal of Santiago.

After having addressed congatulation words to the new community leaders, Martínez said that the true fight against the drug plague will not be carried out with weapons and ammunition, but within the communities.

The fiscal of Santiago said that work to be made was truly important. And he added that the Public Ministry, the National Office of Drugs Control and the National Police were acting against the consequences of the phenomenon when the facts had already taken place.

Checo, technical officer on the national level of the National Council of Drugs spoke on behalf of Doctor Mabel Felix Báez, president of the CND; by specifying that a training and an education as received by the community leaders was fundamental.

On his side, Deprat, Northern regional director of the CND, exhorted the community leaders to continue to work for the wellbeing of the community.

He supported that it was necessary to fight against this plague and to work with the reinforcement of the education, of the family core and of the dialogue between parents and children.

Santiago Live, 15.04.09

Industrialists have a plan to save jobs

Quality and competitive pricing

BREAKING NEWS :  Two industrial associations proposed the creation of a National Commitment to Save Jobs, and for which they think it is necessary for Dominicans to consume more local product and that the Government, as the principal consumer, put aside its vocation to procure the major part of its goods requirements through imports carried out through its suppliers.

The industrialists said that to create incentives for the use of products made here also implies that the industrial sector has to take on the responsibility of producing and guaranteeing the quality and competitive pricing of these products.

Diario Libre , 20.04.09

France can lend US $100M for Dominican Republic’s environment, water

To protect the natural resources

BREAKING NEWS: Hacienda minister Vicente Bengoa said the French Government today offered to lend Dominican Republic US $100 million for environment and water projects.

The official said the loan would be financed at 30 years, at the Libor rate plus 0.75 percent, which is currently less than 3.0 percent annually. It’s an extremely soft loan which is currently very difficult to obtain, even in the multilateral financing organisms.

In a statement, the Hacienda Ministry said Bengoa met with French ambassador Roland Dubertrand and other officials from that country. We have serious difficulties to access financing in the international markets because of the global crisis.

Dubertrand stressed the importance for both countries develop projects to conserve the natural resources and protect the environment.

Dominican Today, 22.04.09

The development of Santiago needs public investment

Private initiatives make efforts for an integral provincial development

BREAKING NEWS: Although during the two last decades, the province of Santiago underwent a social growth and a favorable economy, this development decreased by the loss of employment, lack of structures relating to the public highway, and of effective electric and transport systems.

However, in parallels to these lacks, they are private initiatives which are focused on the integral development of the province of Santiago.

In this context, through the Strategic Plan of Santiago, one conceived various projects from the construction of roads to centers of food supply.

The coordinator of the Unit of Projects of this organization, Pedro Bacca, explains that to carry out this work is difficult, although not impossible, because of the great economic investment which each one implies on behalf of the Central government.

Bacca recognized that from the State, one had had the intention to carry out the work required by the population, but said that the global economic crisis prevented their execution. He proposed the possibility that the Government seeks external partners so that, with this financial support, one can build the infrastructures which the population requires.

Bacca understands that, considering the priority of work, the Central government and the municipal government should examine the possibility to carry out the development plans together.

Pedro Bacca informed that the Town council of Santiago started to improve the environmental quality of the city.

Historical Centre

The expert considered that the reorganization of the Historical Centre of Santiago is a work of vital importance, with which one seeks to boost this zone as an economic standpoint zone, while making it attractive for the investments.

Employment and security

Santiago has two bad points: unemployment and the rise of criminality. Bacca required the attention of the Government in the two sectors.

Santiago Live, 27.04.09

The « Electric Highway » arrives to Villa Altagracia

The construction of the infrastructure is completed by 70%

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO.- With an investment of 157 million dollar, the Dominican Electric Transmission Company (ETED), is progressing in the construction of the electric highway of 345 kilowatts between Santo Domingo and Santiago, which will reduce the energy deficit which affects the Cibao.

Currently, the northern area of the country has serious problems of voltage and the electric service did not improve in the zone because it does not have networks which resist the energy transmission d’ energy from the the parks of Haina and San Pedro de Macorís.

On a total of 130 kilometers, 90.5 kilometers have already being set up to date, which represents 70% of work.

The complete course of the network includes the way which goes from the sub-station of El Naranjo in the province of Santiago to the sub-station Julio Sauri in the Capital.

In the design of construction of the line of transmission, the setting up of 325 pylons of some 40 meters height is scheduled, of which 305 are already put in place.

The the Dominican Electric Transmission Company informed that the construction of the infrastructure was carried out in the work schedule planned by the companies responsible for the project.

This line of transmission will strengthen all the electric system inter-connected, which will benefit not only to Santiago and Santo Domingo but also to Dajabón, Samaná and to other provinces.

And with the expansion of the networks of 345 Kv, one will be able to install the optic fiber which will allow the Dominican Corporation of Official Electric Companies (CDEEE) to set up high speed telecommunications between the towns of Santo Domingo and Santiago.

This project of expansion of the national electric system is carried out by the companies Elecnor S.A from Spain and Siemens from Germany.

Santiago Live, 30.04.09