MAY 2009

Dominican President again pledges 0 tolerance on corruption

An entity to fight it

BREAKING NEWS: President Leonel Fernandez last night again pledged zero tolerance against government corruption, proposed yet another entity to fight it, and warned administration officials and employees that there’s no « godfather » to protect them from prosecution.

This message must be spread, because from now on our slogan is zero tolerance on corruption.

He said in Dominican Republic, as in almost all countries, there’s corruption, and admitted that different forms are committed in government, from retaining files to demand money from taxpayers to embezzling money from the Budget.

However, Fernandez said from now on there’ll be no godfather, nor anybody who can interfere or hold off the prosecution against any person with proven acts of government corruption. No matter their name, or called what they are called, they will be punished according to law.

The chief executive spoke before numerous government officials and private sector guests who attended the launching of the new Strategic Transparent Plan Republic Dominican, Ethics and Corruption Prevention 2009-2012.

Fernandez complained that some corruption cases were uncovered by people outside of government, and not by the ethics commissions whose task is to fight corruption in the different government agencies.

He suggested that the National Ethics Commission create an intelligence organism in each institution to prevent and effectively prosecute government corruption, despite the existence of the Justice Ministry’s Anti-Corruption Agency (DPCA), whose previous director, Octavio Lister, left the post after complaining of a lack of government support of his efforts.

Dominican Today, 01.05.09

The government will supply for free the medicine against swine flu

Urgent : List of suspended medicines

BREAKING NEWS: The Ministry of Public Health, (SESPAS) and the Essential Medicine Program / Center of Logistic Support (PROMESE/CAL) announced that the medicines to face a possible epidemic of swine flu are in the country, and these will be given for free to those who are affected by the illness.

During a press conference that took place in the National Palace on past Saturday, the doctors Bautista Rojas Gómez and Elena Fernández Núñez, Minister of the SESPAS and director of PROMESE/CAL, confirmed that 500,000 units of Oseltamivir, active substance of the Tamiflu, are on the Dominican territory.

Adquired by the government trough the Roche laboratories, with a cost of 50 millions pesos, the Tamiflu medecines of 75mg would be able to help 50.000 persons infected by swine flu, in case it would be necessary.

The AH1N1 is a virus that mutated, the pork has nothing to do with the contagion to humans. It is possible to eat its meat, because even the cough of the animal does not transmit the virus to the persons, said Rojas Gómez.

Urgent : List of suspended medicines

The Ministry of Health through the National Agency of Sanitary Watching, suspended the distribution and the commercialization of the FENILPROPALAMINA.

This decision was taken after the FDA of the United States noticed that this substance provoked FATAL effects.The medicines are the following ones:

1) Benadryl day and night
2) Contac
3) Naldecón Bristol
4) Acolde
5) Rinarín Expectorante
6) Deltap
7) Desfenil
8) HCl de fenilpropalamina
9) Naldex
10) Nasaliv
11) Decongel Plus
12) Sanagripe
13) Descon
14) Descon AP
15) Descon Expectorante
16) Dimetapp
17) Dimetapp Expectorante
18) Ceracol Plus
19) Ornatrol
20) Rhinex AP
21) Contilén
22) Decidex
23) Contac 10
24) Desenfriol-D
25) Desenfriolito
26) Dimetap
27) Graneodin-D
28) XL3.

All the persons who use some of these medicines have to stop the treatment and see their doctor for more details. This information was sent on INTERNET 2 years ago but it is emitted again over Latin America during the swine flu pandemic, since the medicines are mostly anti-flu.

Dominican Republic Live, 05.05.09

Leonel inaugurates RD $469 million in projects in La Vega

As well as highway and bridges in Jarabacoa

BREAKING NEWS: President Leonel Fernandez inaugurated a housing project for the victims of tropical storms Noel and Olga as well as road projects for a total of RD $469 million in investments.

The inauguration of the housing project, INVI Villa Progreso, located in the community of Ranchito, began at 12:19 p.m. with the arrival of the President.
This housing project contains 144 apartments, each one with three bedrooms, a dining room, kitchen, bathrooms and other common areas.

The blessing of the houses was done by Father Braulio Jimenez who took advantage of the occasion to ask the President for other community projects such as the second stage of the INVI-Villa Progreso-Ranchito, an aqueduct and the paving of the streets.

The chief executive handed out the first keys of the project to Agustina Colon Trinidad, Iluminada Lpoez, Margarita Sosa and Maria Ramona Bonifacio.
The director of the National Housing Institute (INVI), Alma Fernandez also spoke at the ceremony and she announced the inauguration of other housing projects in Azua, Monsignor Nouel, san Jose de Ocoa, Barahona and Hato Mayor within the next few weeks.

In Jarabacoa

Later on, the President went to Jarabacoa where he inaugurated the rebuilt highway between La Colonia and Pinar Quemado, as well as the bridges I and II on the road to Nanabao-La Cienega.

The highway between La Colonia and Pinar Quemado is 11 kilometers long and includes three stretches that go from Pinar Quemado to the community of El Pedregal.
During the inauguration, the Minister of public Works, Victor Diaz Rua, announced that in the next few days his ministry would begin a national plan of repaving the streets and highways that will cover more than 1000 kilometers of roads.

The blessing of these new projects was carried out by Father Angel Soto, who also took advantage of the moment to ask the President to rebuild more than 150 kilometers of rural roads in the Jarabacoa area.

Diario Libre English, 06.05.09

The president Leonel Fenández meets the country’s industrialists

They evaluate the impact of world crisis on dominican economy

BREAKING NEWS: The Government pledged to the country’s industrialists and representatives of large commerce, a national plan aimed at invigorating the economy by injecting funds to the micro and small companies and spur the construction sector with public works of infrastructure, built in coordination with the city councils.

During the meeting in the National Palace between president Leonel Fernandez, his economic team and industrialists and retailers, the Government and the private sector agreed that the economy has decelerated and to invigorate it, they must first recommended incentives to jump start the construction sector.

In the meeting it was noted that credit fell in the first quarter, despite a lower interest rate, as the decelerated economy dissuaded taking loans, although as of April the different sectors have obtained more than RD $2 billion in credit.

The industrialists and retailers suggested, and Fernandez accepted, to see how more credit is channeled toward the small and micro company, not toward the large and median company.

Immediately, the Government will begin to design a project to invigorate credit to the small company and the very small company, to activate demand and have an internal dynamic factor for the economy, said Banks superintendent Rafael Camilo, who provided the details after the two hour-and-a-half meeting.

The plan with the city councils is a local combination, pays the local city council a part of the payment and the Government pays for highway and infrastructure projects; with those two aspects, loans to micro-businesses and infrastructure, a dynamization will be sought.

Dominican Today, 07.05.09

Leonel Fernandez inaugurates works in Dominican South

10 aqueducts, and an electrical substation

BREAKING NEWS: AZUA, Dominican Republic.- President Leonel Fernandez yesterday inaugurated 10 aqueducts, an electrical substation, a school, a rural clinic and other works in six southern provinces, built at a cost of more than RD $668 million.

The Head of State and several government officials arrived in Azua near noon Thursday, among them the heads of the Potable Water (Inapa) and Hydraulic Resources (Indrhi) agencies.

The aqueducts, school, clinic and the electrical substation, will benefit 231,464 inhabitants of San Juan, San Cristobal, Elías Piña, Azua, Barahona and Peravia provinces.

Inapa director Mariano German said the inaugurated water systems will improve the quality of life of the South region’s residents, benefitting Azua’s numerous communities.

The official added that just this year the Government has built aqueducts at a cost of RD $3.3 billion, to benefit more than one million Dominicans across the country.

Dominican Today, 08.05.09

COE keeps Yellow Alert in seven provinces

Maintaining a green alert for the provinces of Espaillat, Samana, Monte Plata and Santiago

BREAKING NEWS: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.- A total of 36 communities of Villa Altagracia and Maria Trinidad Sanchez are cut off by overflowing of several rivers in the area.

This information is contained in the report by the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) which in the face of the continuation of the rains en the country caused by a low pressure area, has caused the COE to maintain the yellow alert for the provinces of La Vega, Monsignor Nouel, Juan Sanchez Ramirez, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Hermanas Mirabal, San Cristobal and Duarte.

Likewise, the COE is maintaining a green alert for the provinces of Espaillat, Samana, Monte Plata and Santiago.

In San Cristobal, the yellow alert is especially for the city of Villa Altagracia and in Duarte Province the area most at risk is the Lower Yuna Basin.

In Villa Altagracia, the communities of Lecheria, Los Guineos, Hormiga, Mayor de Ley, Reparadero, Maizal, La Lomita and La Guasima are cut off due to overflowing Rivers and creeks.
In Maria Trinidad Sanchez (Nagua) the communities of La Sabana, Puerto Grande, Tres Cuerdas, Samana, Los Fogones, Arroyo Almadio, Los Cerros and El Tazo have been isolated by creeks and small rivers.

Also, Villa Alegre, La Colmena, La Palmita, Cuazaro, El Yuyal, Los Oreganos, El Solapa, Los Calvo, Los Quincemil, Los Rancho, El Guayabo, El Vecerro, Loma del Burro, Los Cachimbo, Almania, Los Anones, El Papaya, Cinta Negra, El Higuero and Vuelta Alegre are also affected.

On another front, the National Meteorological Office is recommending that small craft do not venture far from the coast for the next five days.

Diario Libre, 11.05.09

Dominican Government nixes taxes on modest homes

To invigorate the economy through the construction sector

BREAKING NEWS: The Government yesterday announced breaks on the ITBIS and other taxes on materials used to build modest homes valued up to 1.4 million pesos, as part of a plan to spur the economy, through the construction industry.

The Internal Taxes Agency will implement the measures administratively, while Congress debates a bill submitted today by the Executive Branch, construction sector representatives and small and medians companies, which yesterday met in the National Palace with president Leonel Fernandez and the Economic Cabinet

After the meeting Banks superintendent Rafael Camilo said the Central Bank also studies a mechanism to set for three years the interest rate for the middle-class housing mortgage sector.

The tax exemption on materials to build houses, Camilo said, is a way to invigorate the economy through the construction sector, because it creates more jobs and has a major effect on other industries.

As to setting the interest rate for the mortgage sector for three years, the official said he still doesn’t know which one will be, and the model designed will be announced in two weeks.

Camilo said in addition to the tax breaks, the project includes the donation of government lands for projects of modest houses, aimed at reducing production costs.

He said studies have shown that a house worth RD $1.4 million, of 75 to 80 square meters, would cost RD $800,000 to RD $900,000 to build, with the Government-granted tax called a Land Bond.

Dominican Today, 12.05.09

Government creates Pymes fund

To create additional jobs

BREAKING NEWS: The Fernandez administration has announced a RD $1.5 billion fund for the small and medium-sized business sector (Propymes), in response to a request from the small-scale businessmen made earlier this week.

Luis Manuel Bonetti, Administrative Secretary of the Presidency, said that the Central Bank still has to complete the studies before making the funds available, but this would happen as soon as possible.

Bonetti commented on Fernandez’s concern about the small business sector, given that 600,000 small businesses employ an estimated 1.5 million Dominicans.

According to Bonetti, RD $1 billion in funds would be administered with the support of the Banco de Reservas and the Propymes. The remaining RD $500 million would be administered by institutions that specialize in administering loans to small businesses.

Bonetti says that despite the international financial crisis the Dominican Republic is in an enviable position and that this small push by the government could create an additional 100,000 jobs.

DR1, 14.05.09

Leonel Fernández and Miguel Vargas Maldonado sign pact

Agreement on controversial points of Constitution

BREAKING NEWS: In a historic pact, President Leonel Fernandez and the former PRD candidate, Miguel Vargas Maldonado, agreed yesterday to establish within the constitutional reform process the no presidential consecutive re-election, the unification of the congressional and municipal elections, as well as a freeze on the number of deputies in the Chamber of Deputies.

They agreed, moreover, to institute a combination of jus sanguinis and jus soli concerning the nationality issue, the election of legislators in representation of the Dominicans living overseas and the modernization of the Armed Forces and the national Police.

During the signing, President Fernandez said to reporters that political awareness has imposed itself on the process of modifying the Constitution when independent of each other’s political stance, the two managed to get all of the political forces participating in the debate.

He said, emphatically, For us, we are not dealing with an issue of principles, but we have to always put forward the national interest above private interest and party interest, and at this moment, without resigning my conception (of the state) and my principles I concede and subscribe to a draft in the national interest.

Meanwhile, Vargas Maldonado said that the agreement offers the opportunity to rescue and recover the values and principles of the PRD, as well as constitute a very special way to honor the memory of Jose Francisco Peña Gomez on the tenth anniversary of his death.

He said, This pact also contributes to the development of new leadership in the political parties and in political activity in the Dominican Republic, and in addition, sponsor the democratic alternation of power. I do want to take advantage of this important scenario by reiterating my proposal for a national project that through a national development plan we can contribute to the sustained development of our people and our country.

The agreement

1. It is proposed that a modification to the issue of nationality be made that blesses a new order based ona combination of jus sanguinis and jus soli.
2. The number of members of the Chamber of Deputies is frozen at the current number.
3. Legislators will represent overseas Dominicans.
4. Deputies for national representation based on the accumulation of votes in proportion to votes obtained,
5. The elections will be unified for legislator elected in 2010 who will have to remain in office until 2016.
6. The Armed Forces and the National Police will be modernized, professionalized and institutionalized.
7. Adapt the formula consecrated in the constitutional reform of 14 August 1994, in reference to the issue of no re-election where it says: The Executive Power is exercised by the President of the Republic, who will be elected each four years by direct vote, not being eligible for election in the following constitutional period.

Several persons cited this agreement as an honor to the memories of Juan Bosch and Peña Gomez, and the salvation of their principles.

DL English, 15.05.09

Leonel Fernández arrived to Spain yesterday

He calls on the Ibero-American Community to admit Haiti as a member

BREAKING NEWS: President Leonel Fernandez on Monday called on the Ibero-American Community to admit Haiti as a member in an act of historic reparation.

The Caribbean leader, who’s beginning a five-day official visit to Spain where he arrived yesterday, noted that Haiti was the first Caribbean republic to proclaim independence in 1804, in reference to the celebrations many Latin American countries prepare to mark the bicentennial of their independence from that European country.

Fernandez’s country shares Hispaniola island with Haiti, a Spanish colony before going under French rule, and also broke ground by abolishing slavery, for which it paid a heavy price.

The Ibero-American Community, which includes Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations in Europe and the Americas, stages annual summits.

Dominican Today, 18.05.09

King of Spain ensures the nation will keep supporting dominican market

President Fernández receives the Golden Key of Madrid

BREAKING NEWS: King Juan Carlos received Monday at the Zarzuela Palace the president of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez, at the start of the latter’s five-day state visit to Spain during which he hopes to drum up additional Spanish investment in the Caribbean nation.

The King said that the spanish buisnessmen will keep investing in traditional sectors, as tourism, and in avantgardist areas as renewable energies.

During the official diner held by the Spain Kings for the president Fernández and his wife, Margarita de Cedeño, the monarch said he felt very satisfied by the effort, work and capacity of integration of the Dominicans who work and live in Spain.

It’s during moments of a serious financial and economic crisis, as the one we’re going through, that the development cooperation is even more necessary said the King.

Juan Carlos remembered that almost one million Spanish tourists visit each year Dominican Republic, and emphasized the obvious potential of cooperation between the universities of Spain and Caribbean Nation.

Finally he talked about the modernization of the Dominican infrastructures, and underlined the dynamism of its businessmen and workers.

Fernández is to meet today with Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and the leaders of Parliament.

President Fernández receives the Golden Key of Madrid

The President Leonel Fernández Reyna was given the Golden Key of the city of Madrid, during a wonderful ceremony realized with many diplomats.
The vice mayor of Madrid, Manuel Cobo Vega, emphasized the intellectual and leadership qualities of Fernández.

He added that this symbolic act did not only represented the affection of Spain for the Dominican president, but for all Dominican people.

Dominican Republic Live, 19.05.09

Dominican Republic joins the International Renewable Energies Agency

The county becomes the member 80th of the entity

BREAKING NEWS: Dominican Republic joined the International Renewable Energies Agency (IRENA), which promotes energetic sources such as alternatives to fossil fuels, issue which Foreign Relations minister Carlos Morales called a new paradigm of the United Nations.

The country became the entity’s 80th member on January 26 in the original conference of Bonn, four months after the preparatory meeting was held in Madrid.

It’s a fundamental organization for the impulse of renewables, which as well, is one of the new energy paradigms of the set of the United Nations, the Dominican official said when he met in Berlin with his German par, Heinrich Tiemann.

Together with Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Panama, Costa Rica and El Salvador among others countries, belong to the agency, which Morales said bolsters the future of the region’s energy development.

IRENA is the fruit of a German initiative, and Spain and Denmark soon joined the agency which promotes renewable energies around the world and helps surmount the obstacles to their development.

Dominican Today, 20.05.09

The President says the biggest revolution of humanity knowledge is about to happen

The University of Salamanca awards Leonel Fernández

BREAKING NEWS: The President of Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernández, said that nowadays, and in spite of the world economical and financial crisis, the biggest revolution of humanity knowledge was about to happen, and will have a deep impact on economical and social development.

Fernández explained that an experimentation process in the sectors of energy, environment, biotechnology, nanotechnology is being developed, and will lead to marketable products that will enter on markets, producing great changes for future.

President Leonel Fernandez made these declarations at the University of Salamanca, in Spain during a ceremony for the award of 209 scholarships to students from 20 Latin American countries. Twenty-three Dominicans will carry out Masters studies, benefiting from the program.

The University of Salamanca awards Leonel Fernández

At the University of Salamanca, President Fernandez was awarded the title of Consiliario de Honor by Rector Jose Ramon Alonso in a ceremony at the Casa Museo Unamuno.

In a ceremony officiated in Latin, Alonso honored President Fernandez with the centenarian symbol of those who came before us through eight centuries of work in favor of science and wisdom.

Keys of the city

The Salamanca Mayor, Julián Lanzarote Sastre, honored as a Distinguished Guest the president Leonel Fernández, and gave him the key of the city, in a symbolic act representing the friendship between Salamanca and Dominican Republic.

Dominican Republic Live, 21.05.09

The 2009 hurricane season will be less intense

14 storms and 7 hurricanes

BREAKING NEWS: The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season will be near-normal, with four to seven hurricanes likely, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Thursday, less than two weeks before the season begins.

NOAA sees a 70% chance of nine to 14 named storms occurring, including four to seven hurricanes. One to three of those hurricanes will have sustained winds above 111 miles an hour.

While we cannot prevent hurricanes, we can prepare, and we must, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke told reporters at Reagan National Airport, just outside of Washington.

The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through the end of November.

NOAA’s forecast is in line with earlier widely watched forecasts. Colorado State University said late month it expects 12 named storms, including six hurricanes, two of which will be intense.

In 2008, there were 16 named storms and eight hurricanes, five of which were major. It was among the busiest and costliest seasons to date, with about $54 billion in damages, according to the National Climatic Data Center.

The weather agency had predicted a total of 12 to 16 storms last year.

Dominican today & D.Bird, 22.05.09

Dominican leader returns

Attracts Spanish investments in various sectors

BREAKING NEWS: President Leonel Fernandez returned yesterday afternoon on a commercial flight from Madrid after a one week official visit to Spain, where he attracted investments for various sectors in his country.

The chief executive, accompanied by his wife Margarita Cedeño, was received by senior Government officials and the heads of the Armed Forces and the Police at the Las Americas International Airport, and then went to the National Palace, without speaking to the press.

According to a statement from the Presidency’s Press Office, as a result of Fernandez’s trip the country will have access to 250 million Euros for various projects, as part of Spain’s cooperation program and the modern farmers market Merca Santo Domingo, with funds to be expedited for its completion.

The Head of State revealed that Spanish investors had stated their intention to invest in two new subway lines in Santo Domingo.

Dominican Today, 26.05.09

Dominican Banks chief Camilo to head Customs Agency

To replace Miguel Cocco

BREAKING NEWS: President Leonel Fernandez appointed Banks superintendent Rafael Camilo director of the Customs Agency, to replace the late Miguel Cocco.

The TV producer and member of the Monetary Board, Ramón Núñez Ramírez provided the information in his Telesistema Channel 11 program, who added that Camilo himself revealed his designation.

Dominican Today, 27.05.09

Government to help flood victims

RD $140 million to help the families

BREAKING NEWS: Emigidio Sosa, director of the Presidency’s Social Plan, has announced that the government has allocated RD $140 million to help the families affected by the recent rains.

RD $50 million will be spent on helping families that lost their homes and land while another RD $90 million will be used to purchase appliances for families in celebration of Mother’s Day.

DR1, 28.05.09

The Ministry of Public Health opens a laboratory to detect AH1N1 virus

American experts arrive to the country

BREAKING NEWS: The Ministry of Public Health (SESPAS) opened this Thursday a laboratory to make tests of influenza and which will enable to detect the presence of AH1N1 in humans. So i twill not be necessary to send the tests to others countries to be confirmed.

Bautista Rojas Gómez, Health Minister of Dominican Republic, says that it will be ready to begin testing for suspected flu cases next Wednesday.

New equipment to carry out the tests, was installed at the Dominican-Japanese Friendship Medical Center at the Luis Eduardo Aybar Public Hospital.

Up until now, samples for testing had to be sent to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.

Doctors are training local staff on the use of the equipment, which was donated by the CDC and will permit Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing for the detection of the AH1N1 flu.

The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) has donated 10,000 testing kits.

This week the first two cases of AH1N1 were detected in the Dominican Republic, but these were mild and did not require medication.

The Ministry of Public Health announced the approbation of sanitary registration for the Tamiflu 30mg. This registration approves the use of this medicine for children, said Rojas Gómez.

He finally asked the population to apply the measures and advises concerning the collaboration of all the sectors (tourism, airports) in order to face the effects of the virus.

Dominican Republic Live & DR1, 29.05.09