Dominican government gives trucks and buses tax break on diesel

SANTO DOMINGO - President Leonel the Fernandez last night issued a decree which established a mechanism to compensate the higher cost of diesel used by the country’s passenger and freight vehicles.

The disposition aims to prevent a rise in fares and freight costs, after the last few months’ fuel price rise in international markets.

The mechanism, which includes freight, food and construction equipment, as well as passenger transport, consists of refunding the taxes on diesel and the 16 percent on the import parity price corresponding to that fuel.

In his decree, Fernandez says it aims to keep the price increases on petroleum’s derivatives from negatively affecting most of the population’s economy. The decree says it’s applicable to the consumption of up to one million gallons of diesel monthly.

It also determines that the amount of the monthly compensatory transference will be granted only to carriers affiliated with the legally-registered truckers and bus driver unions, through the gas stations which supply fuel to them.

In another article the decree establishes that the Industry and Commerce and Hacienda ministries, as well as representatives of transport unions and organizations, will draft the regulation to apply its dispositions, within seven working days after it’s published.

This disposition is transitory in nature, to be in effect for three months from its release.

Dominican Today, 30.11.07

The Banco Popular inaugurates the Popular Fair of Car

SANTO DOMINGO - With offers of low taxes and the most modern brand marks of vehicles, the Dominican Banco Popular inaugurated this Thursday the 14th edition of the Popular Fair of the Car, which takes place on the esplanade of the Popular Tower.

The ceremony was directed by the principal executives of the Popular Financial Group, Alejandro Grullón, president, and by Manuel Alejandro Grullón, president of the Popular Bank.

The inaugural speeches of the opening ceremony of the fair were made by Alejandro Santelises, executive vice-president of the Personal Trades and Branches of the Popular.

In his speech Santelises stressed the great importance to be able every year to identify the elements which allow the customer choosing the vehicle which answers his needs.

The experience enabled us to identify the principal motivation in the decision-making for the acquisition of a vehicle, which is generally the quitness to enjoy fixed conditions of financing with more comfortable times, he expressed.

During the Fair, they will offer a series of additional benefit like the handing-over of a credit card, a current account with electronic cheque book and the affiliation to electronic channels of financial services, which forms an attractive package for the customer.

This exhibition, which will be opened to the public until Sunday December 2, will allow to the visitors to appreciate the last automobile models of the principal dealers of the country, to compare the various offers and to negotiate with different representatives.

Diario Digital, 30.11.07

Penn, Schoen & Berland Survey

Leonel Fernández 50%, Miguel Vargas Maldonado 35% and Amable Aristy Castro 10%

If the presidential elections took place at the present time, the candidate of the Party of the Dominican Liberation and President of the Republic, Leonel Fernández Reyna, would obtain 50 percent of the votes. In second position we would find the candidate of the opposition of the Dominican Revolutionary Party, Miguel Vargas Maldonado, who would obtain 35 percent, and in third place, Amable Aristy Castro, of the Reformist Social Christian Party, with 10 percent.

These data are contained in the investigation of the company Penn and Schoenn, presented this Friday by the executives of this American company.

The survey also reveals that the candidate of the adversary coalition Cuarta Via, Eduardo Estrella, would obtain 1 percent of the votes of the national electorate.

Clave Digital, 30.11.07