JANUARY 2009

Metro stopped for testing

The Santo Domingo Metro had cost RD $25 billion

BREAKING NEWS : Santo Domingo.- Transport Reorganization Office (OPRET) deputy director Leonel Carrasco said yesterday that as of Tuesday Metro services would stop for a general evaluation but he assured that it would be put into definitive service three or four days later.

We are going to conduct an evaluation, examine experiences, work out how many passengers we carried and evaluate the staf, he said, while promising that trains would run every 10 minutes.

He said that the Metro, which has been running free of charge from Villa Mella to Centro de los Héroes since December 22nd so that passengers could learn to use the service, had not had any problems.

Everything is normal, we’ve been able to test everything. There have only been some small operational problems. He added that the construction and equipment of the Santo Domingo Metro had cost RD $25 billion. The cost of the Metro was US $700 million, some 25 billion pesos.

The Opret official praised the public’s civilized and orderly behavior on the Metro. Passengers are not allowed to enter with firearms or other weapons, alcoholic drinks, animals or food. Smoking is not permitted and children must be accompanied by an adult.

Dominican Today, 05.01.09

Colonial Zone to get makeover

One of the favorite points of interest for tourists

BREAKING NEWS: Minister of Tourism Francisco Javier Garcia has announced a restoration program for decaying buildings and the construction of new ones in Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone and the Malecon (George Washington Ave.) for these areas to recover their former levels of activity.

Garcia said that it is one of his priorities to return the historic center to all its splendor and beauty and show the world that we are the owners of the most beautiful Colonial Zone in Latin America.

Talking to reporters from Hoy, Garcia said that this part of the capital city is one of the favorite points of interest for tourists who are attracted by its architectural treasures, its monuments, its cafes and restaurants as well as the good service.

Garcia said that the Malecon would undergo a renewal program to restore some of the sites and attractions along the avenue that borders the capital’s Caribbean coast.

The minister said that tourism is the most attractive part of the economy because of its earning power and the legal guarantees given to investors at the signing of the DR-CAFTA agreement.

Minister Garcia said that the government has defined 2009 as the « year of great achievements for tourism » with investments worth over RD $10 billion for new projects and promotion efforts.

DR1, 21.01.09

Energy subsidy will benefit only those too poor to pay

The subsidy will be gradually eliminated during the year

SANTO DOMINGO. - The government yesterday announced the definitive dismantling of the monthly electrical subsidy through the Blackouts Reduction Program (PRA), and which will be benefit only those too poor to pay for energy.

State-owned Electrical Companies (CDEEE) vice president Rahdamés Segura, after a meeting for more than three hours with the sector’s representatives, headed by president Leonel Fernandez, said they evaluated 2008’s results and this year’s projections.

He said the subsidy will be gradually eliminated during the year and an evaluation will take place so the beneficiary families receive the subsidy through the Solidarity Card.

The official said the government disburses US $160 million per year for the electrical subsidy to families in about 150 barrios within the PRA. We have a dismantling program for PRA, which at the moment consumes between 10 and a 12 percent of the electricity service and the government must place around 160 million dollars to finance this program.

Segura said for this year PRA, which occupies 15 percent in Edenorte and 35 percent in Edesur distribution companies, will be totally dismantled as a geographic program. And then we’ll have focused PRA, that’ll be covered by the government in the part of the subsidy, through the card Solidarity, implemented in the social cabinet with the SIUBEN program.

As to the distributing company EdeEste, the CDEEE chief said it also advances in the reduction o the PRA.

Dominican Today, 07.01.09

The Summit seeks to change and rehabilitate « the things »

T. Montás explains that the organization of the meeting has quite advanced

BREAKING NEWS-SANTO DOMINGO. - The secretary of the Economy, Planning and Development, and the coordinator of the organizing commission of the Summit, Temístocles Montás, ensured that this scene would be used to question, to change and to rehabilitate things from the government itself.

After having explained that the process of organization of the event, whose opening ceremony will take place on next January 28, was quite advanced, the civil servant reiterated that it was the convenient period to propose an national unit to face the crisis.

We need to agree in order to guarantee that, during this year, even if the Dominican economy doesn’t reach the growth level of the previous years, that at least it does not occur a regressionwhich would have an negative impact on the life of the majority of the Dominicans he specified while he indicated that the international crisis situation would increase the levels of poverty and of social inequality, which would worsen the situation of life of the population.

The countries which have advanced, made it because they built solid institutions.

Santo Domingo Live, 26.01.09

The storekeepers of the Barrio Chino identify a land for a car park

They ask that the land be declared of public utility

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO. – The storekeepers of the Barrio Chino identified a land, very close to the sector, which could be declared of public utility by the Executive Power to build there a car park for 400 vehicles.

According to Teofilo Diek, owner of a business in the Barrio Chino, after having crossed the neighbourhoods, they found a land of almost two thousand square meters.

He considers that on this land, one could build a car park of four levels.

The storekeepers still complain about the prohibition of parking in the commercial zone.

Now that the special authorization which had been granted during the Festive Season by the Town hall of Distrito Nacional is finished, this morning three crane trucks were in place on the Duarte Avenue to move the vehicles which would violate the prohibition.

According to Juan Paniagua, president of the Association of the Storekeepers of the Barrio Chino, during the lifting of the prohibition in Christmas, the sales had a lift by 100%, but since its reimplementation, he thinks that they will have to lay off employees.

Santo Domingo Live, 08.01.09

The Capital can be the Caribbean’s most important destination

They work hard to recover the entire coastline

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO. – National District mayor Roberto Salcedo said Thursday that the Dominican capital has all the attributes to become the most important tourist destination in the Caribbean.

He said the City Council works hard to recover the entire coastline along the Capital’s Malecon, aimed at making it more attractive and increase the number of foreigners who visit.

He said crews work continuously in the first stage to recover the section from the harbor entrance to the Maximo Gomez Avenue, along the Malecon, works he said are expected to conclude this year.

The National District has all the conditions to become the most important tourist destination in the Caribbean. We have the first cathedral and the first university, apart that we have a top level hotel infrastructure.

Salcedo spoke during a reception for a delegation from Pontevedra, Spain, headed by its president, Rafael Louzán.

Dominican Today, 09.01.09

Commission to invitations today for summit on 28th

Consolidation and Broadening of Governability, Macro-economic Sustainability and Social and Economic Development

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO : The commission designated by President Fernandez to convene a national summit on the 28th will issue invitations today to representatives of industry, commerce, banking, the political parties and other concerned sectors.

The commission headed by the Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Juan Temistocles Montas, and included Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado, Antonio Isa Conde, and Jose del Castillo will present invitations to the leaders of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) and the Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC).

The vice-president of the PRSC, Ramon Rogelio Genao told reporters that the members of the commission will visit the party’s headquarters at 10:00 in the morning, and the secretarygeneral of the PRD, Orlando Jorge Mera, said that the meeting would be at 11:30 a.m. at his party’s headquarters.

Furthermore, tomorrow the commission will meet on the San Tomas de Aquino campus of the PUCMM with members of the business sector and the civil society.

At the same time, the secretary for Agreements and International Treaties for the PRSD, Rafael Cordero Diaz, announced that this party will participate in the summit.

The convocation for the « Summit for Consolidation and Broadening of Governability, Macro-economic Sustainability and Social and Economic Development » that will discuss and analyze the problems that affect the country has created a lot of expectations in the different sectors of the country.

Meanwhile, the Association of Industrial Enterprises in Herrera (AEIH) and the Federation of Industrial Associations (FAI) said in a joint declaration that the Summit for Consolidation and Broadening of Governability, macro-economic Sustainability and social and Economic Development is the last chance that this government has to recover the confidence it has lost.

The presidents of the AEIH and the FAI, Manual Cabrera and Ignacio Mendez, asked the political, commercial and social entities to join in this democratic exercise with the hope of finding a solution to the structural problems of the country, beginning with a minimum agenda that includes an increase in spending for education, a solution of the energy crisis and the recovery of institutionalism.

The former presidential candidate for the PRD, Miguel Vargas Maldonado said that the moral and institutional decay caused by the government and its repeated violations of the Constitution and the laws, force the civil society and the political parties to demand up front guarantees for their participation in the summit.

He warned that the solution to the economic and social problems requires a recovery of confidence in the state institutions.

Diario Libre, 12.01.09

Dominican Government to escalate war on crime, violence

National Democratic Security Council

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO. – The Government yesterday announced it will restructure and bolster the programs and efforts to prevent violence, crime and drug trafficking, including the purchase and repairs of vehicles for the Armed Forces and Police and to socialize the plans to fight drugs and delinquency.

President Leonel Fernandez headed a meeting of more than three hours in the National Palace, with the members of the National Democratic Security Council, to analyze the situation in the fight against crime.

In the last 18 days 32 civilians have died at the hands of the Police and four agents in that same period, while 82 holdups were reportedly committed in the same period just in the National District.

Dominican Today, 14.01.09

Metro is coming

Two million people rode the subway for free

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO.- The Santo Domingo Metro could be up and running by the end of January, according to Transport Reorganization Office (OPRET) director Diandino Pena.

After a successful trial run during the holiday season when an estimated two million people rode the subway for free, it seems the Metro could finally be ready for its inaugural.

Pena said that all information about the Metro would be released next week, including media spots explaining how to purchase the Metro cards.

According to reports, the standard Metro fare will be RD $25.

DR1, 15.01.09

New Terminal inaugurated in Sans Souci

New jobs creation

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO.-With the presence of President Leonel Fernandez, Felipe Vicini of the Vicini Group and mayors Roberto Salcedo and Juan de los Santos, the new cruise ship terminal at Sans Souci, representing an investment of US $45 million, was inaugurated.

The project includes the renewal of the port of Santo Domingo and the dragging of the port itself.

In the construction stage, the project will generate an average of 20,400, while the greatest number of jobs will be in 2018 when 31,000 jobs will be created, 17,000 direct and 14,000 indirect.

The numbers were offered by Lisandro Macarrulla, the president of Sans Souci Ports, who said that for this year, if they are able to begin the new naval base for the Navy in Boca Chica, the naval school, and the infrastructure for tourist and hotel development, job creation could reach as many as 16,000, with 9,000 direct jobs and another 5,000 indirect jobs.

He told reporters that if work could not begin on the new base and the naval academy, as well as the infrastructure needed for the real estate development, new jobs would be limited to 5,500, of which the expenditures of passengers would accounts for 3,300 new jobs.

Macarrulla said that the Sans Souci Group is willing to begin the transfer of the navy base and initiate the work on the infrastructure needed for the real estate development and go forward with the proposal of drainage and sewers of Santo Domingo that currently prevent the development of a sports marina.

Macarrulla also reported that in April the Plaza Juan Baron would be opened, a public park with 12,000 square meters of space that is being recovered for public use.

The plaza will be a joint effort by the Sans Souci Group and the municipality of Santo Domingo. The former will manage the commercial areas and the guidelines for use of the space, and the latter will provide the framework for public use of the space.

The group will also provide the municipal authorities of Santo Domingo with the plan that would integrate the Columbus Lighthouse, the Park of the East and the Tres Ojos Park.

Macarrulla added that the group is also working to control the discharge of garbage and solid wastes into the Ozama River, basically, in the solution of the wastes that come from the creek through the Bartolome Colon marina which produces 70% of the solid wastes that go into the river.

Diario Libre, 18.01.09

Groups reject summit participation

Discussions at the summit will begin on 28 January

BREAKING NEWS: The Independence, Unity and Change Movement (MIUCA) led by former presidential candidate Guillermo Moreno was among those invited to the national summit, but have now announced that they would not attend, according to Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado, one of the members of the summit organizing commission.

Nunez Collado, who is also chairman of the Economic, Social and Institutional Council (CESI), said that he had no idea what will happen with the demand that the President postpone the constitutional reform process.

He said that all conditions, such as this one put forth by CESI, have reached the President by way of minister Temistocles Montas.

Nevertheless, he reminded that the issue of the reform falls under the control of Congress, where the Senate approved a law that declares the constitutional reform as a national need.

Discussions at the summit will begin on 28 January, and the opening will take place in the Hilton Hotel in Santo Domingo.

The Citizens’ Forum, composed of non-governmental organizations, announced that it would not take part in the dialogue with the government unless President Fernandez changes his policies.

At a press conference, the group said that during this week signals have emerged that indicate that the summit of the industrial, commercial, banking, social and political sectors is just a ploy to distract the people, because preparations for the constitutional reform went forward in Congress, and Fernandez appointed a commission to look at the electricity crisis, one of the principal issues suggested so far.

According to Hoy newspaper, the group also demanded that the constitutional reform should follow the recommendations made by the group of lawyers that was appointed to discuss the proposals from the open hearings held around the country.

The Popular Movement also called for increased spending in the areas of health, education and jobs as a way of creating a more dynamic economy. They said that such a move, combined with reduced spending in non-priority areas and curtailment of luxury goods imports would serve as an incentive for their participation.

DR1, 22.01.09

Metro rules released

It would begin operating on the morning of 30th January

BREAKING NEWS: Rules for riding the Metro have been drawn up, with services starting on Friday, 30th January.

Large packages will not be allowed on the metro, and neither will smoking, eating or drinking, according to a briefing to El Caribe reporters by Leonel Carrasco, sub-director of the Transport Reorganization Office (OPRET).

Firearms are banned, and dogs, cats or other animals will not be allowed on the trains. Children under 12 years of age will not be allowed to travel unless accompanied by an adult. Another rule for the use of the Metro is that nobody can cross the yellow line before the train stops and the doors open.

Carrasco asks riders to be aware that they must have their tickets in their hands when they board, that they need to move to the right, listen out for the sound of the closing doors and hold children by the hand as they get on and off the trains.

Carrasco said that the Metro would begin operating on the morning of 30th January with 19 trains and 39 cars, but that only 15 or 16 will be operating in both directions.

The other units will be ready to enter service if one of those operating should have some sort of breakdown, according to the Opret operations plan.

He said that the trains would travel the 14.2 kilometers from the Centro de los Heroes (La Feria) to the last station, Mama Tingo in Villa Mella.

Metro Security director General Daniel Martinez Lorenzo said that his group has a force of 700 men trained to act in emergency situations, including disasters.

DR1, 28.01.09

Metro’s first day forces lower bus fares

It was inaugurated last night

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO. - Santo Domingo’s Metro has barely begun its first full day of operation and has already forced cheaper fares by the minibuses in the Villa Mella to Centro de los Heroes (La Feria) route, in the National District.

Along the Hermanas Mirabal avenue different buses offer fares for ten pesos, or half the normal.

The Metro, inaugurated last night costs 20 pesos, after buying a reloadable pass-card for 30 pesos.

And while the minibuses leaving Villa Mella are full of passengers, the Metro had few rides in the early hours Friday.

In the Metro’s first day traffic jams from North Santo Domingo to the National District are still the same.

Dominican Today, 30.01.09