OCTOBER 2008

The Community joined together to protect the La Caleta Underwater Park

Safeguard of the National Park

SANTO DOMINGO. - With enthusiasm and good will, the Community of La Caleta joined together for the safeguard of the Underwater National Park La Caleta by carrying out one cleaning day colleting more than 6.000 pounds of solid waste which were deposited during the last storms, affecting the esthetics of the place and the health of the Local community.

Answering a world call, this event was organized in La Caleta by the Peace Body of the United States, the Foundation Reef Check Dominican Republic, local volunteers, the members of the School Manuel Cruz Álvarez and the College María Trinidad Sánchez as well as by the local fishermen.

They had the support of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural resources, and the Town hall of La Caleta.

In totality, approximately 260 people of the Community commemorated the International Cleaning Day of the Coasts on last Saturday to the La Caleta Underwater National Park.

In addition to the cleaning of the coasts one day per year this event supports the management of this important protected sector and specifically seeks a greater implication of the Community, by creating at the same time a conscience among the population to not throw refuse during the other days of the year.

The sector covered by the volunteers included the coastal line of the National Park, where waste was classified and weighed for the registers.

Collected waste was mainly made up of various plastics, glasses and tires.

This event was part of the International Cleaning Day of the Coasts and it was simultaneously carried out in all the country coordinated by the Secretariat of Environment and in the rest of the world by The International Ocean Conservancy Organization.

The La Caleta Underwater National Park is situated at 22 km from Santo Domingo, and he is decribed by the experts as one of the five best diving spots in all the Caribbean.

Diario Digital, 01.10.08

Three public debates

To discuss about the proposal of reform process

SANTO DOMINGO.- The Dominican President launched an initiative to instruct the citizens and public opinion on the proposed constitutional reform that Fernandez has sent to the Congress.

The Presidential Palace, the National Dialogue, coordinated by Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado, and the Institutional and Justice Foundation (FINJUS) will convene three debates of two hours each that will be on national television and radio.

The idea is to contribute to perfecting Fernandez’ idea, according to FINJUS Executive director Servio Tulio Castanos during the press conference.
Castanos, Monsignor Nunez Collado and Rafael Nunez, the Presidential Press and Information director all participated in the announcement.

According to Castanos, the joint congressional commission that is studying the legislative proposal will be invited to the three sessions.

On the 7 October, Milton Ray Guevara and Cesar Pina Toribio, two of the 13 jurists that wrote the proposal will talk about Public powers: structures and balances at a session held at the Santo Domingo campus of the PUCMM.

Seven days later, the Santiago campus will hold discussion on Fundamental Rights and Principles with José Darío Suarez and Eduardo Jorge Prats as the expositors.

The third session will be on 21 October, at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), and the theme will be Economic regulations, financial systems and State controls and Jorge Prats and Licelot Marte will be the speakers.

Castanos, Olivo Rodriguez Huerta, Jose Cruceta, Cristobal Rodriguez, Erick Raful and Francisco Alvarez will be commentators for the three programs which will feature sessions of questions and answers.

Diario Libre, 02.10.08

Preparing for Metro II

Santo Domingo metro’s second line

Five international companies have shown an interest in participating in the construction of the Santo Domingo metro’s proposed second line.

These are Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) and Invensys.

The second Metro line would run from Los Alcarrizos to San Luis, a distance of 22 kilometers and 24 stations, at an estimated cost of US $600 million.

Construction is expected to begin in December and should take an estimated three years to complete.

Information on the project was released during the Forum for East Asia Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) event held in Singapore.

Listin Diario reports that soil tests for the new line began three months ago.

DR1, 03.10.08

Dominican capital observes U.S. Navy warship’s maneuvers

Medical assistance mission

SANTO DOMINGO.- The U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge since Friday conducts maneuvers along the Dominican capital’s seaside boulevard El Malecon, as part of a medical assistance mission in various Latin American countries, according to the U.S. Embassy.

Helicopters on the Kearsarge’s deck can be observed from shore taking off and landing, in flights as far as the Dominican naval base at Calderas (south), where the U.S. Embassy said it will also provide medical assistance to local residents, as part of the operation Continued Promise 2008.

Dominican Today, 06.10.08

« Septiembres » new movie of Carlos Bosch

Santo Domingo film festival

Carlos Bosch, famous Catalan scenario writer will present tomorrow Wednesday October 8, his new film Septiembres, at the occasion of the Santo Domingo International Cinema Festival (Muestra Internacional de Cine de Santo Domingo).

Famous reporter on the Spanish channel TV Catalunya, he is also the author of the documentary film Balseros, which is talking about the adventures of Cubans who try the travel to the American dream.

This documentary film was rewarded by several nominations of which one to the Oscars in 2004, as better documentary.

The festival is taking place at Palacio del Cine in Bella Vista Mall on Sarasota Avenue. Showings include films from Mexico, Chile, Cuba, France, Argentina, Bolivia and Germany, which is the invited country this year.

Carlos Bosch will present Septiembres tomorrow, film which already received the special mentions of the juries of the Festival of Malaga and of the Miami International Film Festival.

Santo Domingo Live, 07.10.08

Senate picks Chamber of Accounts

The full Senate accepted the report submitted by the special joint commission

SANTO DOMINGO.- The Senate selected the group of candidates headed by Licelote Maarte de Barrios to be the new magistrates on the Chamber of Accounts. Marte de Barrios will be the president of the auditing board, , Pablo Domingo del Rosario will be the vice-president and Ivan Rondon will be the secretary.

The rest of the new group is composed of Juan Jose Heredia Corporan, Jose Nicolas Almanzar, Jorge Suncar Morales, Pedro Antonio Ortiz, Jose Attias Juan and Juan Luis Leliman Haza, all selected in the same order as they were submitted by President Fernandez.

The full Senate accepted the report submitted by the special joint commission that was headed by the Senate president, Reinaldo Pared Perez. The report evaluated the 27 persons submitted for consideration by the President last 17 September.

The new members were elected by a 25-2 vote of the Senate, with the two nays coming from PRD senators Roberto Rodriguez, the PRD spokesperson and Mario Torres (PRD-Dajabon).

The report says Taking into consideration that the fundamental role of the Chamber of Accounts as the external auditor of the Dominican state, the abilities, both public and private of the candidates, their accumulated experiences in their professional careers, their vocation for public service, their ability to manage, motivate and evaluate in an efficient manner the results of a team, as well as the high degree of commitment towards the best interests of the nation, we present this report recommending the group that heads the list of candidates.

The candidates, according to the joint commission’s report, fulfill the Constitutional requirements, as listed in Article 81, and those of Article 11 of Law 10-04 that covers the Chamber of Accounts. These requirements are basically that the candidates be lawyers, accountants or graduates in finance with at least ten years of experience.

In the debates, Senator German Castro Garcia (PRSC) said that he was satisfied, because the interview permitted the commission to consider each of the candidates, which he assured the Senate did fulfill the requirements, although he did remind the new members of the Chamber of Accounts that the former members had been subjected to a political disciplinary hearing for serious errors in their behavior. He urged them to work with humility.

Mario Torres criticized the fact that there were no PRD members on the new board of the chamber as a way to recognize the fact that 41% of the vote obtained in the last election.

This assertion was countered by Senator Euclides Sanchez who said that the PLD did not have representatives on the new Chamber of Accounts, and his colleague, Juan Orlando Mercedes Sena, pointed out that the new designees should make sure that they serve the people, the President and the Senate well.

The new members of the Chamber of Accounts will be sworn in on Thursday, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon in the office of Senate president Reinaldo Pared Perez.

Diario Libre, 08.10.08

Leonel talks reform with senators

Law on public and private associations and constitutional reform

SANTO DOMINGO.- President Leonel Fernandez met yesterday at the Presidential Palace with the senators from the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and its allies, and talked about different aspects relating to the Constitutional Reform, the General Budget for next year and the climate of cooperation between the two state powers.

At the end of the meeting, the PLD spokesperson in the upper house, Luis Rene Canaan, pointed out that there were never any contradictions between the Executive and the legislature over the sponsoring by the President of the forums to discuss different aspects of the legislative proposals submitted by the President.

It was said that the President had called for an 11 o’clock meeting this morning with the PLD deputies and their allies to discuss the same issues.

Canaan said that what happened was that there were some impressions that confused us a little, we the senators, that is, and we expressed the need that the consensus that is being sought at this stage should be channeled and directed by the Congress, in this case by the joint commission that has undertaken the study of the proposals.

Previous to the encounter that was held in the dining hall on the third floor of the Presidential Palace, the Senate president, Reinaldo Pared Perez, reported that this was not an emergency meeting, since it had been scheduled since last week, but the President’s trip to Florida last Wednesday caused it to be postponed.

Besides going over the main points of the reform project, the law on public and private associations was talked about and the senators also put forth some of the needs in their respective provinces so that these could be put into next year’s budget.

Besides Pared Perez, Canaan and Guerrero, Senators Cristina Lizardo, Prim Pujols, Euclides Sanchez, Francisco Dominguez Brito, Dionis Sanchez, Adriano Sanchez Roa, Amilcar Romero, Ramon de la Rosa Mateo and Laureano Guerrero were at the meeting.

Diario Libre, 09.10.08

Fernandez re-opens Palace of Fine Arts

The Ministry of Culture will administer the new installations

SANTO DOMINGO.-In the middle of lights, music, dances, fireworks and joy, President Leonel Fernandez opened the remodeled Palace of Fine Arts, rebuilt with an investment of RD $700,000,000, and now called the « Metro of Dominican culture. »

The President and his wife, Margarita Cedeno, arrived at 7:52 last night and entered the Maximo Aviles Blonda Room of the building where the activities began with the National Anthem sung by the National Choir under the direction of Jose Enrique Espin.

The blessing of the remodeled Palace of Fine Arts was given by Bishop Francisco J. Arnais, Bishop Emeritus of Santo Domingo, and the Minister of Culture and the director of the Office of Supervising Engineers of State Projects, Jose Rafael Lantigua and Felix Bautista, pointed out the importance of the modern facelift given to the building that was first opened in 1956.

Lantigua explained that the refurbishing and modernization of the historical monument rescued the dignity of fine arts in the Dominican Republic. And Bautista just added that Dominican culture was having a feast day, because these installations were in really poor condition that did not allow the building to be opened to the public.

After the inauguration ceremony, there was a concert given by the National Choir and the National Symphonic Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Jose Antonio Molina. The musical selection included the « Yaya » Overture, by Molina himself, « A la caida de la tarde » (At evening time) by Jose Dolores Ceron, and « Tres imagenes folkloricas » (Three folklore images) by Papa Molina.

The President received the book « History of the Palace of Fine Arts » from Minister Lantigua.

Attending the book ceremony were the Vice-Minister for Creativity and Popular Participation, Bernarda Jorge, the director general of Fine Arts, Franklin Dominguez and the assistant general director of Fine Arts, Dustin Munoz.

Diario Libre, 10.10.08

Discovery of America

Ceremony at Faro a Colón

SANTO DOMINGO. - In the presence of civil servants and of personalities of the sector of the culture, the Government of Faro a Colón carried out yesterday a ceremony in commemoration of the 516th birthday of the Discovery of America which took place on October 12, 1492.

The Ambassador of Spain, Diego Bermejo, attended the ceremony in the honor of the discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus.

Andy Mieses, governor of the Faro a Colón said that Columbus had been an exceptional man because his travel destroyed myths and put a term to the theories of scientists who believed that they were guaranteeing the reason.

He indicated that the admiral had also dismounted the false thesis « of the marine monsters » and that with the new road, he clarified the fact that the hearth was round.

He considered that Columbus was the most famous man of the world and that this fame was due to the fact that for the first time in the old world, an oceanic road connected the old continent to an inhabited land by human beings, unknown land so far in the European portion.

On his side, Mateo Mórrisson, under-secretary of Culture, underlined the importance which the fact of celebrating events of this type had for Dominican Republic and the rest of the world.

The crypt containing the remains of the admiral was opened by Monsignor Rafael Bello Peguero, who represented Cardinal Nicolás de Jesus López Rodriguez.

Yesterday, the crypt remained opened to the public all the day so that the visitors can see the remains of the America’s discoverer.

Listín Diario, 13.10.08

Reform of Dominican Constitution

Wave of debates

SANTO DOMINGO.- Meetings, forums and special sessions on the bill that declares the need to reform the constitution continue this week in and outside the halls of Congress, aimed at debating the proposal submitted by the Executive Branch to the legislature.

The bicameral Commission that studies the initiative will meet 4 p.m. Wednesday to begin discussions on Thursday, and will have a special meeting with the Central Electoral Board judges, to discuss that court’s matters, to be adopted in the new Constitution.

The Senate will also begin receiving proposals from various institutions, personalities and citizens wishing to comment on the proposed constitutional reform debate.

Dominican Today, 14.10.08

Satellites, great allies for the hurricanes follow-up

Cyclonic season

SANTO DOMINGO. - The hurricane season continues, between tropical depressions which strengthened into storms and hurricanes and of which much were born in the neighborhoods of the national territory.

Such a situation had repercussions for the country, a lot of rains, floods and landslides, among other consequences.

Because of this situation, one of the principal advices is to follow the current weather bulletins of the National Office of Meteorology (Onamet), with regard to the zones which could be vulnerable and the tendencies of the passage of these phenomena. However, how do the meteorologists work to issue their forecasts ?

Thanks to the images recorded by satellites and provided by various sources, one can obtain data on the clouds movement and the formation of tropical depressions, which can possibly develop, and on the life cycle of these phenomena which visit us during this season.

Martín Matos, of Onamet, informs that our area as well as those which include the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, are affiliated to the National Hurricane Center of Miami, which is the regional centre.

Matos comments on that this center has equipment like satellites and hurricane hunters planes, which provide data like the wind speed, atmospheric pressure and other important data.

These planes, he said, not only fly over the zone of disturbances, but every three hours enter directly into the hurricanes, to reach the eye located in their center.

During the flights of data collection, the crew makes many different measurements, including the speed of the wind and its direction, the humidity level of the atmosphere, the temperature and the barometric pressure.

Information gathered by the hurricane hunters during their missions, at intervals of two measurements per second, is transmitted in real-time by the intermediary of satellites to the ground stations of the National Hurricane Center.

Martín Matos explains that the center also informs on forecasted projection of the course which one of these factors can take.

He also informs that there exist other regional centers of meteorology in Brussels, Beijing and in Argentina.

In the same way, Onamet is using satellite images provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States.

Listín Diario, by Alexéi Tellerías, 15.10.08

Air Century connects Santo Domingo to Punta Cana

New air route

SANTO DOMINGO.- The Dominican air line company Air Century offers from now on services of charter flights from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana, departure from La Isabela, Doctor Joaquín Balaguer International Airport (AILI), located in the commune of El Higüero.

Air Century will cover the route Santo Domingo - Punta Cana on board of Jetstream 31 aircrafts having a capacity of 19 passengers and will flight every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, taking off at 8:30 am and returning at 05:30 pm, for a price of 70 dollars per person one-way ticket.

Air Century proposes charter flights, transfers, helicopter flights, air publicity and over flights, satisfying the needs for these types of services in Dominican Republic.

Moreover, every week the company flies towards destinations such as other points of the Caribbean and Central and South America and to the United States.

Al Momento, 16.10.08

The medical teams of the « US Kearsarge » ship treated 15.000 patients

13 days care

Santo Domingo. - The crew of the ship « US KEARSARGE »; of the US Army, in the country for humane mission Continue Promise 2008, offered medical care to approximately 15.000 patients during its 13 days stay in Dominican Republic.

Each day roughly 1.503 patients went for doctor visits, 34 surgeries were performed and 1.797 ophthalmologic services were offered.

Moreover, they emitted 30.000 medical prescriptions with their drugs and 1.298 animals received veterinary care in various parts of the country.

During the closing ceremony, Ambassador of the United States, P. Robert Fannin said: We learned that any country can do everything alone and the success of our mission was our ability to work together towards a shared interest.

The chief of the mission Continue Promise Commodore Fernández Ponds, defined this mission as a total success. This success could be obtained only thanks to the enormous solidarity of our neighbors and friends of Dominican Republic.

Continue Promise 2008, is a mission shared between the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Brazil, France, Nicaragua, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.

The mission also received the assistance of volunteers of non governmental organizations such « Hope Project » and « International assistance ».

El Nuevo Diario, 17.10.08

The President meets with his economic team

The Dominican banks are well capitalized

SANTO DOMINGO. - President Leonel Fernández met on Friday with his economic team to review the tax performance of the month and projections for November and December.

Vicente Bengoa, Finances Minister, informed after the meeting, carried out in the NationalPalace, that they also reviewed the Draft budget and Law on the he Public Expenses for the next year.

While referring to the economic crisis of the United States, the civil servant declared that the latter would not affect in a determining way the Dominican Republic thanks to the measures which were adopted by the authorities.

He indicated that the banks of the Dominican Republic were well reinforced, very well capitalized, and that they have moreover, by resolution of the Monetary Board, the maintenance of many positions in dollars, this being a percentage of the capital.

Vicente Bengoa declared that the banks of the country were not very exposed to the financial crisis of the United States and Europe.

He supported that the crisis will affect the Dominican Republic, because the latter affects the entire world, but that the country is prepared to face the situation.

He announced that as the market of values of the country did not develop, so we don’t have the risk that it is contaminated by the economic crisis from which the United States and the Europe are suffering from.

El Viajero Digital, 20.10.08

Sammy, Marichal named Dominican ambassadors

Foreign Investment

Santo Domingo.- President Leonel Fernandez last night designated former Major Leaguers Juan Marichal and Sammy Sosa, special ambassadors for the Promotion of Foreign Investment.

Marichal is a member of the United States baseball Hall of Fame, whereas Sosa, who has yet to announce his retirement, is the Latino player with the most home runs, with 609.

Dominican Today, 21.10.08

Dominican Capital to get a subway for Christmas

Ticket price between 20 and 25 RD $

SANTO DOMINGO. - The exact date for the Santo Domingo Metro’s (subway) commercial opening has yet to be set in the official calendar, but Transport Reform Office director Diandino Peña said today in the NationalPalace, that the event could occur between November 25 and December 15.

Dominican Today, 22.10.08

Leonel Fernandez inaugurates tech fair

25 countries are present

SANTO DOMINGO.-President Leonel Fernandez inaugurated the Dominican Technology Fair 2008 last night.

There are 150 technology firms from nearly 25 countries participating in the fair, and President Fernandez said we are now in a transitional phase towards the economic model based on fundamental scientific knowledge, technology and innovation.

The President recalled how ten years ago the technological and scientific advancement began with the construction of the Cybernetic Park of Santo Domingo that is today an emblem at the center of the scientific and technological development of the Dominican Republic.

The fair that began last night on the wharf of San Souci will end next Sunday, and the different stands have technology from some 25 countries, including France, Taiwan, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain and the Dominican Republic.One hundred and fifty firms are showing their wares.

The president of the Santo Domingo Cybernetic Park, Eddy Martinez, said that the main goal of « TECDO 2008 » was to show the world what the DR is capable of doing in science and technology.

Diario Libre, 23.10.08

Santo Domingo among the best

Master Card Study

Santo Domingo has been ranked among the 65 most important economic centers for emerging economies.

The results were part of a study by Master Card, and presented in Brazil.

In the area of commercial and economic environment, the DR ranked 19th among cities like Santiago (Chile) and Brasilia.

The study took into consideration 100 indicators in eight categories, like commercial and economic environment, growth and development, business environment, financial services network, education and information technology, quality of urban life, risks and safety.

DR1, 24.10.08

First Tech Fair is over

The event was organized by the Santo Domingo Cybernetic Park

SANTO DOMINGO.-The event brought together representatives from several countries and 145 national companies tied to telecommunications, sales of technology and technological solutions.

Although yesterday at noon the organizers had not finished tallying the number of people who attended the fair, they are sure that there were thousands walking around the old Remos restaurant in Sans Souci, on Espana Avenue, since last Thursday.

The event was organized by the Santo Domingo Cybernetic Park as a way to show businessmen, both national and international, as well as the general public, the opportunities of selling their technological creations.

With this event, the telecommunications companies in the country, producers of software, networks and even agricultural chemicals and machinery could exhibit their wares in order to facilitate investments and guarantee higher profits and economic savings to buyers.

Among the technological advances on exhibit was the Program to Promote Greenhouses from the Ministry of Agriculture that featured a computerized system of fertilizing and protecting the crops.

This technology is applied to the crops in greenhouses and features the ability to apply fertilizers in exact doses from a remote location.

One of the other technological advances promoted at the fair was that of a Spanish company that had created the software that allows hospitals to create digital pictures of x-rays.

One of the most interesting new items presented at the fair was the Ministry of Higher Scientific and Technological Education’s stand where scientific and technological inventions were exhibited, like the one by Edwin Martec who created a system of remote electricity disconnection and remote reconnection that earned him the first place in the second national science and technology contest.

Diario Libre, 27.10.08

Government will run Metro

To begin operations in December

The government will operate the Santo Domingo Metro, excluding the possibility of any concessions being signed with the private sector for the time being.

The news was revealed to Hoy newspaper by the sub-director of the Transport Reorganization Office (OPRET), Leonel Carrasco.

The official said that the idea of the private sector running the Metro had been considered, but never under any type of concession.

Last week Carrasco said that the private sector running the Metro would relieve the government of some of the expenses, and, even though he said that fares would be between RD $20 and RD $25 pesos, he refused to say how much the government would be subsidizing each fare.

As of yesterday, 36 of the 56 cars had arrived and another 18 are expected to arrive over the next few days.

Carrasco said that the Metro would be put to the test at the beginning of November, running empty, putting several trains into operation at the same time.

The officials also said that OPRET was tidying up the system and making small repairs here and there, in order for it to begin operations in December.

Among the details being worked on are sidewalks and elevators and the trials on connections and sub-systems of the electro-mechanical sections.

Hoy newspaper says that the whole system will be tested throughout November. The Metro system will employ a total of 1600 people.

DR1, 28.10.08

Pavel Núñez closes his tour at the UASD

Friday October 31, at 08:00 p.m.

SANTO DOMINGO. - Pavel Núñez will finish his seventh university tour this Friday October 31, at The Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), with a completely free spectacular concert.

The musical guests will be Cristian Daniel and the rapper Gnómico as well as the Cuban Michelle Fragoso, who will begin his tour the following day at the Theater House.

The musicians who will accompany Pavel Núñez are mainly those who are playing with Juan Luís Guerra in the group 440 like Guy Frómeta, battery, the guitarist Luís Payán, the percussionist Isidro Bobadilla and the trombonist Patricio Bonilla, who will guarantee a wonderful accompaniment.

A « bomba » music night was announced, guaranteeing a spectacular end of this one month tour which went to San Franciso de Macorís, San Pedro, Santiago and which finishes this Friday.

It was a very happy year for the career of Pavel Núñez, started with his spectacle « Big Band Núñez » at the National Theater, then with the opening tour of the concerts of Juan Luís Guerra in Spain, followed by the seventh edition of his university tour and which will finish with 15 concerts in several cities of the country.

Once more, Pavel Núñez was recognized as the singer of the year 2008 in Dominican Republic and he will begin 2009 while choosing scenes with a greater impact, thanks to the confidence of a faithful public which follows him everywhere.

Diario Libre, 29.10.08

The asphalting program is started

Santo Domingo and the National District roads will be repaired

SANTO DOMINGO. - The Secretariat of Public Works and Communications (SEOPC) began the asphalting and repair of the Yolanda Guzmán, Max Henríquez Ureña, Salcedo, Abreu, Federico Velásquez Streets and of the Winston Churchill Avenue.

According to information, this work belongs to the national asphalting plan, which already started.

The program includes also the repair of the streets and avenues of the Capital and of the interior of the country, which worsened after the continuous downpours produced by the passage of the weather phenomena which have affected the country during the last months.

The representative of the Asphalting and Paving Department, Isaias Cabrera Hernández, informed that two million gallons of AC-30 recently arrived to the country, material which will be used to carry out the program.

He said that they formed tens of brigades to solve the problems on the critical points, among which it quoted the Nagua-Samaná, Bávaro-Higüey, San Pedro-Hato Mayor roads as well as road sections in Monte Plata and San Cristóbal.

We will also start repair work from Duarte Avenue to Morgan hospital, on Rafaël Augusto Sánchez; from Tiradentes to the Lincoln Avenue, among other ways of the city which present disastrous conditions in many points, he said.

The secretary Víctor Díaz Rúa wants that this problem is solved as soon as possible, and ordered we repair complete sections in the principal and secondary avenues of the Distrito Nacional and the province of Santo Domingo, he informed.

The project will cost approximately 100 million pesos.

Listín Diario, by Adrian Peguero, 30.10.08

Lower fares ordered by OTTT ignored

Resolution 227-08

The Technical Transportation Office (OTTT) emitted a resolution that ordered fares reduced all over the country. The reductions were from RD $2.00 to RD $30.00. Moreover, the OTTT warned that units and drivers that violated this measure would be seized and permissions to work specific routes revoked.

By means of Resolution 227-08, the OTTT orders « concho » fares reduced by two pesos; in city bus fares were reduced by five pesos, and intercity bus fares were reduced according to the length of the trip. For a trip up to 150 kilometers, the reduction was RD $10.00; for one of up to 250 kilometers RD $20 and for a trip of over 250 kilometers the fare was reduced by RD $30.00. The OTTT director Franklin Beltre released the news to reporters.

Beltre said explained that in order to enforce this measure that entered into effect on 29 October, inspectors and supervisors will be out on the streets. In Greater Santo Domingo, this will be done by units from AMET and in the rest of the country it will be carried out by personnel from the OTTT.

The official indicated that the measure was taken after meetings with driver syndicates all over the country, among who were Juan Hubieres and Ramon Perez Figuereo who, according to the official, were in agreement with the motion. Beltre also said that he visited with the head of the National Transportation Confederation (CONATRA), Antonio Marte.

The National Unified Transport Central (CNTU), denied that the OTTT was empowered to impound vehicles that violated the measure and they warned that the syndicates would respond in due time.

Ramon Perez Figuereo, the CNTU president, announced a meeting today to analyze the OTTT, since the measure was adopted without consultation with the drivers.

He clarified the fact that the government had left them hanging, asking where was the subsidy for UASD students ? Where was the Bonogas Card, the schools, the parts, the lubricants, the tires, and the reduction in tariffs on imports ?

In his judgment, the authorities have « played » the syndicates, since in spite of promises they have received nothing.

Perez Figuereo said “We will apply the fare reductions as much as we can, but not by decree or by imposition, ” as he pointed out that he found out about the resolution through the media.

Meanwhile, Manolo Ramirez, the spokesperson for Conatra, said that this disposition did not affect them in the least since they had applied the lower fares, in fact some of which are even lower than the resolution, beforehand.

Nevertheless he said that the disposition to impound or seize vehicles of drivers that do not apply the new fares is illegal.

Diario Libre, 31.10.08