JUNE 2009

The Office of the First Lady welcomes thousands of mothers

Artistic presentation

BREAKING NEWS: Thousands of women enjoyed this Saturday the spectacular homage that the First Lady of the Republic, Margarita Cedeño de Fernández paid tribute to with an artistic presentation and a drawing lots for household appliances.

The mothers went to the Palacio de los Deportes Virgilio Travieso Soto and benefited from the festivities animated by Milly Quezada, Héctor Acosta El Torito , El Prodigio and Wason Brazobán.

The organizers were the famous humorists Fausto Mata, alias Boca de Piano and Tony Pascual, alias Pachulí.

With this activity Maragrita Cedeño de Fernández brought joy to the mothers who attended the event and who take part in the projects carried out by her office.

Margarita Cedeño de Fernández congratulated her mother, Margarita Lizardo de Cedeño, that of the President, Yolanda Reina and all those of the world, at the time of her welcome speech.

The Secretary of the Woman, Alejandrina Germán, was also present at this ceremony.

The programs carried out by the First Lady are the prevention and the early detection of breast cancer, stays for children, the elimination of illiteracy, a support network for health and formation, among others.

Each one of these programs gave the opportunity to thousands of women to change their lives in a positive way.

Santo Domingo Live, 01.06.09

Experts will discuss in the country on the migration

Process of regularization of the immigrants

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO. - The general secretary of the Organization of the American States (OAS), Jose Miguel Insulza, and delegates of more than 20 countries will discuss on June 10 in Santo Domingo on the policies of migration, informed today organizers of the activity.

The conference Policies of migration and experiences in the regularization processes from June 10 to 11 will be inaugurated by the Dominican president, Leonel Fernández and by his Police and Interior Department minister Franklin Almeyda. The closing conference will be the responsibility of the Chancellor, Carlos Morales Troncoso.

Among the participants there are the general coordinator of the Migration and Development Program of the OAS, Araceli Azuara Ferreiro; the head of the Division of Labour of this organization, Ricardo Cordero, as well as the minister of Interior of Costa Rica, Janina Del Vecchio, specified the Ministry of Interior and Police.

Moreover, Carmen Daneri, director of the Foreigners Department of the Ministry of Interior of Chile; Florencio Ruiz Prado, national director of the Migration of Ecuador and Paolo Martino Cossu, of the European Communities Council will take part in this event.

During the conference, there will be also various interventions of delegated of Argentina, Germany, Spain, France, United States, Brazil and Haiti, who will talk about the policy of migration of their respective countries and will speak about the processes of regularization of the immigrants.

Santo Domingo Live, 02.06.09

International Festival of Theatre Santo Domingo 2009

Trends of the Latin-American, the Caribbean and the world theatre

BREAKING NEWS: With the participation of prestigious theatrical companies coming from 8 countries and settings in Dominican scenes, the Secretariat of Culture will present the VI International Festival of Theatre Santo Domingo 2009 (FITE), from June 17 to 24 in the principal rooms of theatre of Santo Domingo and Santiago.

Theatrical companies and groups of Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Canada, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Venezuela and Dominican Republic, will present shows during the sixth edition of the International Festival of Theatre Santo Domingo 2009, which this year is devoted to the director and theatrical actress Maricusa Ornes and to the Argentinian-Venezuelan master playwright Eduardo Di Mauro.

Among the objectives of the VI International Festival of Theatre Santo Domingo 2009 appears the fact of making favourable the active exchange with the current trends of the Latin-American, the Caribbean and the world theatre. And also to contribute to the possibility for Dominican to attend theatrical spectacles of great quality which stimulate the creativity and the imagination.

Other goals of the International Festival of Theatre are to promote the Dominican theatre as an invaluable work which deserves the special attention of the Dominican society, and, finally, to promote the host country like important cultural destination.

The program of workshops includes training courses with famous international and Dominican teachers in the sectors of dramaturgy, theatrical direction, scenic activity, infantile theatre and puppets.

Several directors of Festivals of Latin America, of the United States and of Spain will also attend this event and will have a contact with Dominican theatrical creations through the Scenic Fenêtre program.

The VI International Festival of Theatre will use 15 spaces of representation, rooms of theatre and places like the Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito, Sala Máximo Avilés Blonda del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Casa de Teatro, Teatro Guloya, Teatro Luna, La Cuarta Espacio Teatral, Las Máscaras, Gran Teatro del Cibao, Centro de la Cultura de Santiago, five alternative spaces in various ditricts of Santo Domingo, among other scenic spaces.

The price of the tickets is of 20 pesos for the children and of 50 pesos for the adults.

Santo Domingo Live, 03.06.09

Seminar about architecture and environment in Santo Domingo

Towards a green architecture for Dominican Republic

BREAKING NEWS : Santo Domingo.- The Foundation Erwin Walter Palm and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARENA) realized the Seminar of Architecture and Environment Towards a green architecture, on June 3rd and 4th 2009 in Santo Domingo, during the Environment week.

Directed by professional of design and construction, the seminar introduced for the first time in the country the last standards that governs the new international architecture.

They emphasized the explanations about the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), one of the most complete regulation about the subject of green architecture.

The president of the foundation, José Enrique Delmonte, said that not many buildings in Dominican Republic used the measures for energy saving.

He explained that the development of this kind of project would help to decrease the consumption of natural resources and to slow down global warming, this is why they have to be used by the institutions linked to the construction sector.

Jaime David Fernández Mirabal, Minister of Environment, added that this common effort aims to open a discussion between professionals and academicians, about the necessity to integrate more green elements to the architectural designs.

Santo Domingo Live, 03.06.09

Executive Branch closed down the Blackout Reduction Program

New electricity subsidies

BREAKING NEWS: Later this month, the government will provide 806,830 homes with electricity subsidies via the Solidarity Card. The so-called Bono Luz will reach 67% of households registered as customers of electricity distributors EdeNorte, EdeEste and EdeSur, which have a total of 1,201,314 customers.

The director of the Unified Beneficiaries System (SIUBEN), Miriam Rodriguez de Simo said yesterday that of the total beneficiaries of the Solidarity Card, a sort of welfare card, 626,301 are destitute or poor and 180,529 are lower middle class.

Rodriguez said that with the new method of channeling this subsidy, traders and businesses that were taking advantage of the fixed rates in poor barrios would no longer benefit.

At the same time she said that homes that did not have the Solidarity Card but did qualify for subsidized electricity would be evaluated for their possible inclusion in the program.

As reported in yesterday’s DR1 news, earlier this week the Executive Branch closed down the Blackout Reduction Program (PRA), transferring its assets and accounts to the CDEEE.

The president of the Association of Housewives’ Committees (Acacdisna), Rosario Lopez, described the application of this new measure of focusing the electricity subsidy as a mortal blow » to the economy, quality of life and security of Dominicans, as it comes with an increase in the electricity rates.

DR1, 09.06.09

Dominican Government condemns Honduras coup

Fears contagion in region

SANTO DOMINGO.- Dominican Republic’s President, political parties, movements and a group of intellectuals yesterday condemned the coup against Honduras president Manuel Zelaya.

Leonel Fernandez, in a statement to the Dominican media, demanded Zelaya’s restitution and called the putsch as a backward step which violates the Organization of American States’ (OAS) Democratic Charter. This coup d’etat must be rejected, because in the future it could have a contagion effect towards other nations of the region and return to a period of barbarism.

Foreign Relations Vice minister Clara Quiñones, who represents the Government in the meeting of ministers of the Central American Integration System (SICA), stated the Dominican people’s support for Honduras.

Dominican Today, 29.06.09

Assembly prohibits consecutive re-election

They approve the popular legislative initiative

BREAKING NEWS: SD.- The National Revisory Assembly for the constitutional reform prohibited last night the re-election of the President for consecutive terms, approving article 104, with the text contained in the pact signed by President Fernandez and the former PRD candidate Miguel Vargas Maldonado, in a session that was not transmitted on television, as will be the case from now on. The president of the Assembly did not offer any explanation for this decision.

The article was approved with 157 votes in favor and 13 votes against. Seven of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), three from the reformist party, and one from the Christian Democratic Union voted against the measure.

Article 104 establishes that the Executive Power is exercised by the President of the Republic, who will be elected every four years by direct vote, not being eligible for election the following constitutional period.

There were no big debates, and only the party spokespersons were allowed to speak before the Assembly, in spite of the fact that 24 persons had requester turns at the podium to express their opinions.

The spokesperson for the reformists, Ramon Rogelio Genao, said that his organization was historically in favor of re-election, but they joined in the proposal, while Pelegrin Castillo argued that this article should stay as it was in the current Constitution and Ruddy Gonzalez, from the PRD, referred to the issues surrounding presidential re-elections in this country.

Diario Libre, 10.06.09

An increase of flights to the DR for summer

Summers starts june 21 and tourists increase

BREAKING NEWS: AILA.-The airline operations increased by 36 daily flights from different destinations towards the Dominican Republic during the summer and will be centered in the Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo; the Gregorio Luperon Airport in Puerto Plata and El Catey Airport in Samana.

According to information given by the Dominican Airport Consortium Siglo XXI (Aerodom), among the new flights are six charter flights that land daily at the three airports.
Jet Blue Airways, beginning 18 June, will fly daily from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Santo Domingo (SDQ).
On 19 June Jet Blue will cover the route Boston-Santo Domingo with three flights a week, also using Santo Domingo’s Las Americas International (AILA).
Beginning 25 June they will offer six flights a day on the New York-Santo Domingo route.

Delta Airlines will offer starting 13 June a daily flight to New York from AILA. Meanwhile, beginning 26 June and lasting until 9 August, they will increase to four flights a week to Atlanta from the Gregorio Luperon Airport in Puerto Plata. They will offer another weekly flight to JFK International in New York beginning 19 December.

Continental Airlines increased its frequencies from 7 to 12 flights a weeks on the Newark-Santo Domingo route until 30 August.

Express Jet, beginning in July will have seven charter flights from San Juan, Puerto Rico to AILA.

The TACA airline will add the route Lima Santo Domingo with three flights a week. Venezuela de Aviacion will begin operations beginning 15 July with a daily flight covering the Santo Domingo-Caracas route.

Air Europa will begin, tomorrow, its operations from the Gregorio Luperon International Airport, with a weekly flight from Madrid.

Diario Libre, 15.06.09

Law to deduct educational expenses approved

Amnesty for employers with SDSS debts; deadline extended for commercial societies

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO.- The Chamber of Deputies declared the bill to be urgent and made it the law. This is the legislative proposal that modifies letter d of paragraph I of article 309 of the Tax Code, that reduces from 5% to 0.05% the deduction on payments made by the state and its dependencies, including state enterprises and the decentralized and autonomous institutions, to both individuals and companies for the acquisition of goods and services.

Equal treatment was given to the proposal that allowed for the deduction in the Income Tax of education expenses that parents incur.

Both projects were agreed upon during the National Summit that was sponsored by the government some months ago.

The deputies also accepted the modifications that were made by the Senate on the proposal that concedes an amnesty to both public and private employers with late payments to the Dominican Social Security System, so if the Executive Branch does not veto the bill, it will become law. The State will accredit the businesses that have complied with the law, with future deductions, what has been paid for this concept.

Equally, it was declared to be urgent and approved in two consecutive readings, with the amendment made by the Senate, the proposal that extends to 18 months the deadline for businesses to bring themselves into compliance with the new General Law on Commercial Societies and Individual Enterprises of Limited Responsibility, which was supposed to go into effect on 19 June.

Also given two readings and approved were the proposals that create the Shared Ecological Fund of Environmental Sustainability that was authored by Deputy Victor Bisono; the proposal that creates the National Geological Service, the one that does Exploration and Exploitation of Hydrocarbons, authored by Pelegrin Castillo and Jose Ricardo Taveras, and the one that assigns the name of Ney Arias Lora to the Trauma Hospital and Mario Tolentino Dipp to the Central Clinic in the City of Health that is being built, a proposal by Deputy Elpidio Baez.

The proposals that had been agreed upon during the National Summit convened by President Fernandez were all approved.

Diario Libre, 16.06.09

Santo Domingo: The American Capital of the Culture

Program setting up

BREAKING NEWS: Santo Domingo will be a large stage during the whole year 2010 when will take place many cultural eventsas the city was declared American Capital of the Culture during this year.

To implement the general strategy of the organization, the Members of the Commission met.

The Secretary of the Culture said, at the end of the meeting of setting-up of the organization, that they traced the central aspects of the event while they unified the efforts to insert all the sectors of the Dominican cultural life.

During this meeting, one indicated an executive commission, which will be responsible for the development of the Main Plan of the project, in order to formally present it to the President of the Republic in the coming weeks.

The great event which is to be the American Capital of Culture 2010 will suppose for authors, artists and for the representative of all the sectors of art and of the culture, like a Pan-American Games in the cultural field, this is why the vast support of all the employers and the private sectors and of official institutions will be fundamental, independently of the support of the government,, declared Lantigua at the end of this important meeting which took place in the office of the Secretariat of the Culture.

Santo Domingo Live, 17.06.09

Fernandez inaugurates East Santo Domingo aqueduct’s RD $5B 2nd phase

The new module will substantially improve the potable water supply

BREAKING NEWS: Santo Domingo.- President Leonel Fernandez cut the ribbon for the water-treatment plant Eastern Salinity Barrier aqueduct’s 2nd module, in the community El Naranjo, San Luis township, built at a cost of RD $5 billion.

The aqueduct can supply 91.3 million gallons daily, which added to the other sources, brings the Aqueduct and Drainage System Corporation’s (CAASD) capacity to 172.3 million gallons per day in that region.

CAASD director Ramon Rivas said the new module will substantially improve the potable water supply for the Eastern zone’s more than 96 communities and more than one million inhabitants.

Dominican Today, 19.06.09

JetBlue begins Boston-Dominican capital flights

JetBlue is now offering the convenience of nonstop service

BREAKING NEWS: BOSTON (PRNewswire-FirstCall).- JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) , the leading airline at LoganInternationalAirport with service to more nonstop destinations than any other carrier, today begins flights to its 31st city: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox player and proud Santo Domingo native, joins JetBlue this morning at Logan to celebrate and welcome customers aboard its first departure to the Dominican capital. JetBlue is the Official Airline of the Red Sox and FenwayPark.

JetBlue is now offering the convenience of nonstop service from Boston to Santo Domingo three days per week on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with plans to expand to daily service over the peak winter season. JetBlue also offers one-stop connecting service every day to Santo Domingo as well as to Puerto Plata on the island’s north coast and to Santiago de los Caballeros in the central CibaoValley.

Santo Domingo’s JetBlue’s second new destination this week from its Hub hub at Logan, after Wednesday’s launch of twice-daily nonstop service to Los AngelesInternationalAirport (LAX). JetBlue will further expand in Boston on Sept. 9 with the launch of four daily flights to a 32nd destination, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).

Today we’re proud to launch yet another Caribbean route from Boston, giving our Customers even more choice when they jet with JetBlue, said Scott Laurence, the airline’s vice president of network planning. Together with our nonstop flights from Boston to Aruba, Bermuda, Cancun, Nassau, San Juan and now Santo Domingo, JetBlue is committed to being the carrier of choice for Hub travelers, whether they’re headed to the Caribbean or any one of our two-dozen nonstop destinations across the United States.

JetBlue’s continued expansion at Boston Logan shows the popularity of the airline and the power of the Boston market, said Edward C. Freni, Director of Aviation for the Massachusetts Port Authority. We welcome the start of year-round service to Santo Domingo and look forward to JetBlue’s continued growth at Logan.

Aerodom is very pleased with JetBlue’s decision to begin scheduled low cost air service between Boston and Santo Domingo, said Rodolfo Salgado, CEO of Aerodom, the operator of the Santo Domingo airport. Boston is a major U.S. market with a significant and growing Dominican population and a steadily increasing number of tourists from Boston and surrounding area booking vacations in the Dominican Republic. We are confident that, as a result of this new route, tourism and commercial ties between these two vibrant cities will be strengthened, making this very good news indeed for the Dominican Republic.

JetBlue’s new Santo Domingo service is offered aboard the spacious Airbus A320, which offers customers an industry-leading experience that includes roomy leather seats, the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline*, and free first-run movies on its seatback TVs in both Spanish and English. JetBlue’s unlimited snack and beverage selection -- plus its award-winning customer service -- is included in every low fare to the Dominican Republic.

Dominican Today, 22.06.09

Dominican Capital’s Mayor seeks improved zoning laws

To regulate grounds use

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO.- Santo Domingo mayor Roberto Salcedo on Monday submitted a project on construction norms titled Indicative Zoning on Densities aimed at regulating ground use, heights, property lines, and parking and sidewalk spaces within the National District.

In the activity held in the National District’s City Council, technical secretary Andres Navarro said that a study of 29 barrios revealed that those sectors receive a higher pressure on density and ground use.

Salcedo handed the proposal to City Council president Winny Terrero, who said he’s committed to expedite the project in the next Council session.

For now the project excludes the heart of the city known as the Central Polygon and the upscale sector Gazcue, considered an architectural patrimony which deserves special attention.

Salcedo said among the project’s objectives is to reach the Indicative Zoning on Densities and to better control the city’s urban development and improve the technical rigor on decisions to issue a ground use permit.

Dominican Today, 23.06.09

Games of chance supply RD $500 million to the treasury

Casino owners complain of illegalities and privileges

BREAKING NEWS: SANTO DOMINGO.- Games of chance, whether in casinos, petting parlors or other centers, leave a ton of money for the government, a sum that is more that RD $500 million each year. The statistical data from the Director General of Internal Taxes (DGII) indicate that just last year they collected RD $389.66 million for taxes on slot machines and another RD $146.35 million from casinos, which brings the total to RD $536.1 million just for 2008.

According to the Department of Casinos in the Ministry of the Hacienda, there are about 11,000 slot machines registered in the country, and these should pay the treasury between RD $3,500 and RD $4,000 each month, as tax for operating. Nevertheless, the director of Casinos, Conrrado Abud, complained that at the present time the collections are not corresponding to the reality, since only one sector is making payment on a regular basis.

I don’t know what the total collections are because this is handled by the DGII, But I know it is not what it is supposed to be, because only the casinos are paying correctly, but the betting parlors are not paying like they should, concluded Abud.

His uneasiness is shared by the president of the Dominican Casino Association, Edmon Elias Hermida, who expressed his worry about unfair competition and privileges that he says exist in the sector.

Elias Hermida complains that the streets, bars, restaurants, and casinos are full of illegal gaming machines that do not pay a penny, while the casino owners have to comply with the laws and pay their taxes. These are, besides being illegal, unfair competition added the casino owner.

He said that the association has 36 affiliates with 600 tables, and 3,000 slot machines and pays RD $160 million each year to the treasury.

Law 29-06 that modifies Law 351 regarding Casinos establishes in its Article 14 a simplified payment for the Income Tax for the operation of Casinos based on location and the numbers of tables to be operating. These payments vary between RD $13,000 and RD $26,000 a month according to whether the casino has between 1 and 15 tables, 16-35 tables or more than 36 tables.

In addition, the casinos have to pay RD $10 million for their licenses, RD $4.0 million for transfers, RD $50,000 for publication of licenses and another RD $50,000 for the authorization to increase the number of tables, according to Resolution 6371 of 12 August 2008.

Diario Libre, 24.06.09

Brazil will finance the project Corredor Duarte

With an amount of 48 millions dollars

BREAKING NEWS : Rio de Janeiro.- Dominican Republic’s Minister of Hacienda and the president of Brazil’s State-owned bank BNDES, yesterday signed a US $48 million contract to finance the project Corridor Duarte, consisting of several major overpasses in the Caribbean country’s capital.

After the ceremony in the BNDES offices, the Dominican official Vicente Bengoa and the Brazilian executive Luciano Coutinho stated their confidence in the Dominican economy’s recovery.

The financial support which Brazil has been providing to the Dominican Government is very important for us Bengoa said, noting that president Leonel Fernandez took office in a very difficult situation, which we’ve been sorting out thanks to the confidence we’ve instilled on the international organisms and institutions.

Dominican Today, 25.06.09

Sale of the Dominican Oil Refinery

Government sends the sale contract to Congress

BREAKING NEWS : The Presidence Secretary, informed this Thursday that the contract of the Dominican State and the Venezuela government, concerning the sale of 49 percent of Dominican Oil Refinery shares (Refidomsa), would be sent to Congress.

César Pina Toribio said that there was nothing to be scared from or to hide in this agreement, since this one will be positive for the country. It will be examined by congress.

Yesterday the president Fernández expressed himself in front of medias and explained that the criticisms of some sectors concerning the sale of the shares were emotional reactions at the wrong moment.

He said these reactions were caused by bad information. Fernández explained that Venezuela was chosen as associate of Refidomsa because it will enlarge the Refinery, but also because it’s a reliable supplier that could help to sell outside of the country and enable Dominican Republic to participate to the international market of fuels.

President Fernández gave his approbation concerning the examination of contract by congress, even if he believes that this commercial act is a government private one that do not requires the approval of this entity.

The sale contract of Refidomsa 49% shares to Venezuelan State could be signed of June 30^th, during the visit of president Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías to the country, for the occasion of Juan Bosch century.

Santo Domingo Live, 26.06.09

After a 14 year ban, a Dominican airline starts regular flights

Inaugural flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico

BREAKING NEWS: Santo Domingo. – For the first time in fourteen years a Dominican airline will begin flights to another destination, after the country lost its international category to do so on a regular schedule.

The carrier Pawa will conduct is inaugural flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico with wide body DC-9 airplanes, marking the normalization of flights by Dominican airlines to and from the United States.

Pawa executives said this date is highly symbolic for the country and Dominican civil aviation, because of the type of airplane which starts regular flights to Puerto Rico.

The flight will cover the route Santo Domingo and San Juan, departing at 11:45 a.m. from the Las Americas International Airport, the airline executives said.

Dominican Today, 30.06.09