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Leonel adds US$88 million to highway cost

President Leonel Fernandez sent the Senate two amendments to the construction and financial contracts for the 70-km Coral Expressway that is linking La Romana and Punta Cana destinations. The loans are submitted after the cost of the project was increased from US$272.2 million to US$360.7 million. The first cost estimate for the project was US$255 million, according to Hoy.
According to the Diario Libre, one of the amendments increases the completion deadline from 24 months to 32 months. The other amendment or addendum to the contract was agreed upon in the interest of spreading payments. The addendum takes into consideration the difficulties in accessing funding from international capital markets at interest rates that are favorable to the Dominican government.
The letter from the President explains that for this purpose a modification to article 7.1.3 is submitted to Congress. It establishes that as a form of payment, besides the Certificates of Recognition of Payment of Investments (CRPIs), the state will make direct payments to the construction company, with funds from the National Budget and/or financial entities or any other financial mechanism or convenient payment. The modification also says that the execution of the four-lane project will be in a single phase. This will consist of the construction of the stretch that connects La Romana to Punta Cana, starting at the end of the La Romana Beltway and going to the traffic circle in Cap Cana and the Punta Cana International Airport. The project also covers tollbooths and other related constructions.

Foreign debt increases by 10%

The foreign debt increased by 23.9% in the first half of the year compared to the same period of the year before including US$750 million in sovereign bonds issued by the government last May, reports Diario Libre. According to the Central Bank report on the economy, as of 30 June 2010, the foreign debt is at US$9.98 billion.
Regarding the evolution of the debt service, the Central Bank indicates that the public sector received disbursements of US$1.68 billion. The greater part of these resources came from a bond issue, short-term loans and the Petrocaribe agreement.
Likewise, during the first half of the year, the government met debt obligations for US$979.8 million, some US$41.1 million less than in the same period last year. This can be explained by the value of some currencies or accounting units in which the debt is contracted, basically the Euro.
Of the total paid for service on the foreign debt, US$816.3 million, equal to 83%, went to cover capital liabilities, and the rest, US$163.4 million, equal to 16.4%, was used to cover the financial costs of the obligations.
The report indicates that the non-financial sector honored obligations for US$511 million, which represents a drop of 10.4% from a year ago.
In the meantime, the financial sector honored obligations for US$468.8 million, which is a US$17 million difference from the previous year. The Central Bank reported on its webpage that the economy grew by 7.5% in the first half of the year, reactivated by the construction sector.
See August report at http://www.bancentral.gov.do/publicaciones_economicas2.asp?docu=economia_int-Econom...

New deputies' first day

The opening session of the Chamber of Deputies was somewhat chaotic, with the more than 90 new deputies wandering around looking for their places and asking where their offices were located. According to El Caribe, all this came after the new deputies had already gone through two practice sessions and the swearing in ceremony.
Even such a respected person such as Hugo Tolentino Dipp pushed the wrong button during a vote. And, according to the newspaper, the technology was apparently not working properly, and this added to the confusion of the first day's session.
The most standout figures of the day were first-time deputies Luisin Jimenez and Juan Hubieres. Jimenez attacked the press for their reporting on the poor image the Chamber of Deputies has in the people's minds. Hubieres, not so much for his neoliberal attack on the rich, but rather for what the PLD legislators were yelling at him: "Sponge", "Scrounger", and "Did you pay for the blue buses?" Some of the PLD deputies called out: "Learn to drive. You head a syndicate and don't know how to drive?"
Later Jimenez would say he was misinterpreted in his statements. Jimenez, was elected on the ballot of the Bloque Institucional Social Democrata, an ally to the PLD.
Commenting on Jimenez's criticism to the press, Adriano Miguel Tejada of Diario Libre made the point that the "honorable legislators did not need help from anyone to discredit themselves." Tejada criticized that the minimum background required to quality for being a legislator.
The infamous deputy from La Vega, Radhames Ramos Garcia (known as "El Chino" for his smuggling of 16 Chinese into the country) was not far behind. He was talking to the press and to the PLD and PRD legislators and told them: I am a communist, sent from God, to become the President of the Republic". He also invited his attackers to imitate his community actions, saying that he spent his salary in building a clinic, Buen Pastor, in his city.

The high cost of the senators

From 2006 to 2010, the 32 senators of the Dominican Republic have received RD$919.6 million through what is known as the Fund for Social Assistance (Barrilito), a slush fund at their disposition. The slush fund payments range from RD$420,000 for the Pedernales senator to RD$900,000 for the National District senator.
Add to this RD$428.5 million in wages, representative expenditures, diet, wages of their employees (RD$289,000 a month in Santo Domingo and RD$142,500 provincial office), and other perks. Add to that the two unlimited motorcar tax exemptions, most of which are sold for about RD$800,000 each. Rosa Alcantara reports in Hoy that in the past four years, when perks, wages and slush fund are added up, senators have cost the government RD$1.5 billion over the past 4 years.
See http://www.hoy.com.do/el-pais/2010/9/1/340158/Senadores-gastan-el-barrilito-sin-controles

Prosecutor has son in Customs

Santiago prosecutor Jenny Berenice Reynoso confirmed on Tuesday that a son of the prosecutor in the Santiago Court of Appeals also works in the Customs Department. The prosecutor, Vielka Calderon, recently requested the release on bail for the group that is accused of a millionaire fraud in Customs. Prosecutor Calderon justified her request saying that the accused are not responsible for importing arms or money trading, and that they had been "crucified" because they belong to the government party. She also argued that when the arms were imported, the young men were no longer working in Customs. The three accused, Miguel Angel Lazala, Gerald Estevez Pena and Adalberto Rosa were ordered to remain in prison for at least eight months as their case is heard. However, Calderon requested the court vary the decision and release the young men after paying bail. The men had been accused of accepting millions in bribes for not checking specific containers in Customs.
Jenny Berenice Reynoso said that "the son of lawyer Calderon works in Customs, and we, for the moment, have not affirmed or discarded anything, we are investigating". This was her answer when she was asked about Milton Rivas Calderon and his possible involvement in the case.
Reynoso has been quite open in her opposition to the release on bail of the trio, saying that this sends the wrong message to the public and to the government employees regarding the anti-corruption policies of the administration.
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=254330...

Citizens call on Environment to release Barrick info

A group of concerned citizens have filed requests to obtain the reports from the Ministry of the Environment regarding the legal status of the Canadian firm Barrick Gold and Goldcorp on the one hand and the environmental impact statement of the mine that is supposed to obtain gold, copper, zinc, silver and other metals from the operation in Cotui.
The requests were filed under the stipulations of Law 200-04 on Access to Public Information. Requested is a copy of the environmental license issued to Barrick Gold or Pueblo Viejo Dominican Corporation, a legal and environment requirement that allows them to install a new processing plant in the province of Sanchez Ramirez. The concerned citizens want to see whether the company has fulfilled all of the legal procedures required by Law 64-00 on the Environment and Natural Resources.
The second request is for a copy, either on a CD or on paper, of the environmental impact statement that allows Barrick Gold to exploit the gold, silver, iron, zinc and copper mine in the province of Sanchez Ramirez. Such a study is the scientific basis for the issuance of an operating permit.
The group gave the Ministry until 10am on Thursday to come up with the documents. They went on to tell reporters from the Nuevo Diario that if the Ministry continues to violate the law, they would file for a restraining order in the courts.

Safeguards against money laundering

The president of the Dominican Association of Commercial Banks, Jose Manuel Valdez told former President Hipolito Mejia that the Dominican banking system is well protected against the influx of narco-dollars or money laundering activities. He said that any deposit of more than RD$10,000 has to be justified as proceeding from a legitimate source. He added that banking, included the savings and loan associations, has measures in place to guarantee the proper origin of the resources received. Valdez said that more than 90% of the banks have a series of safeguards where money-laundering operations find it difficult to penetrate. According to the Listin Diario, some of the other measures include background checks on persons who secure loans in order to be sure that the money is properly used.

Doctors get their pay raise

Doctors and other health workers began to collect their paychecks with the 15% pay raise ordered by the government. The payment was delayed because of the adjustments to the payrolls that the authorities carried out. They expect the process to conclude between today and tomorrow. The salary increase ended the two-year year struggle carried out by the Dominican Medical College (CMD) that represents public hospital physicians, and the Coordinator of the Health Unions that covered two years.

What kills Dominicans?

Listin Diario reports on the main causes of deaths in the Dominican Republic. The report indicates that heart attacks (12.2%), strokes (9.7%) and pulmonary arrests (7.1%) are the leading causes of death in the world, but in the DR the main causes are heart attack (28.4%), strokes (9.4%), and traffic accident (8.3%).
As explained, the high incidence of heart and stroke deaths in the country is attributed to: inadequate health systems and infrastructure that exclude the poor; lack of preventive health programs; curative medicine is big business; low educational levels of the population to catch diseases in time; and limited or low coverage of the social security programs.
See http://www.listin.com.do/la-republica/2010/9/1/157132/De-que-mueren-los-dominicanos

Truck trailer accident kills three

Tragedy blanketed Villas Agricolas yesterday when a garbage truck trailer filled with solid waste, whose driver apparently lost control on the Respaldo Moca Street, killed three persons, and partially destroyed three houses and two vehicles.
Diario Libre reported that Isidro Albino Simen, Alex Figueroa and Andres Pierre, identified as a Haitian national, died when struck by the huge vehicle that had no license plate and only had the number 1222 as identification.
The trailer is the property of Jose Luis de la Paz, a contractor of the National District city council. A black Land Cruiser SUV, license plate G-058577, was one of the two vehicles that were damaged in the accident.
Listin Diario reported that the driver lost control of the loaded vehicle upon leaving the area where solid wastes are weighed.
As of now, the names of the persons in the big truck are not known, and according to eye witnesses, they ran and sought protection in the police station located near where the accident occurred. Of the three victims, two were having breakfast and the other was repairing his tricycle with which he earned a living.
Some of those consulted asked the mayor of the National District, Roberto Salcedo, to convert the Respaldo Moca Street into a walkway. This request is due to the large number of light and heavy vehicles that pass through.
A photo in today's edition of Hoy newspaper shows the accident, which was under, ironically, a handmade sign asking that no truck use the street.
Ms. Lidia Reynoso, the owner of one of the houses affected by the accident had to be taken to a nearby medical center due to an attack of nerves.
At the same time, Osorio Rodriguez said that the mayor, Roberto Salcedo, should move the transfer station for weighing refuse that the municipality has nearby because "around here there is a lack of hygiene".

Earl leaves and Fiona on the way

The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) confirmed last night in its final 10pm bulletin that Hurricane Earl was no threat to the DR. Last night Earl was located about 220 kilometers from the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Onamet did maintain the alert for high surf along the East and North coasts of the country, from Cabo San Rafael in the East to Manzanillo Bay on the northwestern coast. The waves are expected to be between 8 and 10 feet, with some breaking even higher, and flooding low-lying areas along the coast.
The Center for Emergency Operations (COE) reported yesterday that 270 persons had been evacuated and 54 houses located in vulnerable areas were affected by high surf. As the result of the strong winds, several trees fell and blocked the road in El Valle, Samana, causing 4 families to be evacuated as a precautionary measure.
In northeastern Boba, in Maria Trinidad Sanchez province, 50 families were evacuated given the high surf as a precautionary measure and taken to the Pentecostal Church, the Primary School in Boba and to the Parish House in the community.
Some good news was the fact that dozens of passengers that had been stranded on Monday at the Las Americas Airport because of Hurricane Earl were called to board flights going to their respective destinations. Yesterday afternoon passengers boarded aircraft heading to Puerto Rico, Guadalupe, Martinique, Dominica, Saint Maarten, Curacao, and other islands in the Caribbean that were in the path of hurricane Earl on Monday and part of yesterday morning.
The authorities kept the Red Alert in place against possible coastal flooding for the inhabitants of the low-lying areas along the North and East coasts of the country. A yellow alert was also in place due to the possibility of tropical storm conditions from La Romana to Cabo Engano, and from Cabo Engano to Samana, including the island of Saona, and the provinces of La Altagracia, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, El Seibo and Hato Mayor. A green alert was in place for Montecristi, Puerto Plata and Espaillat, especially the town of Gaspar Hernandez.
Residents are asked to:
-Take precautions against possible lightning strikes and wind gusts.
-Stay away from the coastline and high surf.
-The inhabitants of the low-lying areas of the North and East coast should take the proper preventive measures against the probability of coastal flooding. Alerts are issued regarding aquatic sports and beaches.
As the peak month of the Caribbean hurricane season advances, Tropical Storm Fiona is heading towards the Caribbean Basin.
Onamet is also watching a low-pressure area 765 kilometers to the West-Southwest of the Cape Verde Islands that could become Gaston.
For updates, check out the comments on weather at http://www.dr1.com/forums/weather-beyond/102242-h-season-outlooks-2010-a-39.html#post890105

DR ranked 11th in women's volleyball

After its participation in the China Grand Prix, the Dominican women's volleyball team climbed two levels, and is now ranked 11th in the world and 4th in the Americas. In China, the DR won games against China, Germany and Italy. The DR also won prize money for US$50,000. The DR first played in a Grand Prix in 2004. The team is coached by Brazilian Marcos Kwiek.
See http://www.fivb.org/en/volleyball/Rankings/VB_Ranking_W_2010-08.asp

Caribbean Art Triennial

First International Caribbean Triennial opens 1 September through 24 October at the Museum of Modern Art. It is conceived as a unique platform for the empowerment of contemporary art and artists in the Caribbean and Central America. The curators of the exhibition are: Dominique Brebion (Francophone Caribbean), Committee of Curators (Anglophone Caribbean), Jorge Gutierrez (Grand Caribbean and Miami Curator),Jose Manuel Noceda (Curator for Central America), Jennifer Smit (Dutch Caribbean Curator) and Danilo de los Santos (Hispanic Caribbean Curator)
http://www.trienalinternacionaldelcaribe.blogspot.com/

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Puntacana Foundation donates motorcycles to nearby town’s Precinct	9/1/2010 9:43 AM
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. - The Punta Cana International Airport donated two UM motorcycles to the Police precinct in the town Verón, through the Puntacana Foundation.
Climbers scale rig in freezing seas as energy giants eye Arctic oil rush	8/31/2010 8:40 AM
Baffin Bay, Greenland.- Campaigners have evaded a huge military security operation to scale a controversial oil rig in the freezing seas off Greenland. At dawn this morning four expert climbers in inflatable speedboats dodged Danish Navy commandos before climbing up the inside of the rig and hanging from it in tents suspended from ropes, halting its drilling operation.
More on Haiti rebuilding project	8/31/2010 8:01 AM
That was an excellent informative article. You indentified the problems facing infrastructure reconstruction in Haiti.
Andrade Gutiérrez taps Glauer Peixoto Nogueira for the Caribbean	8/31/2010 7:53 AM
Santo Domingo.- The Brazilian construction company Andrade Gutiérrez (AG) designated Glauer Peixoto Nogueira, director of operations for the Caribbean region, based in the Dominican Republic.
Court subpoenas Santiago’s former mayor again	9/2/2010 10:01 AM
Santo Domingo.- The Santiago Appellate Court Penal Chamber subpoenaed that city’s ex mayor Jose Enrique Sued to appear at 9 a.m. September 6, to face charges of violating several articles of the Laws on the Environment and on Health.
Barriers against money laundering are in place, top banker says	9/1/2010 7:20 AM
Santo Domingo.- Commercial Banks Association president Jose Manuel Lopez Valdez affirmed Tuesday that the financial sector is the one which has applied the toughest measures to protect against money laundering, making it difficult for funds from drug trafficking to enter its operations.
Dominican music icon’s song eases Chilean miners’ anxiety, CNN reports	9/1/2010 6:50 AM
Copiapo, Chile.- The network CNN reports that some of the miners trapped some 700 meters below the surface could be heard playing songs from Dominican merengue artist Juan Luis Guerra and other tunes sent down by officials, who are expected to distribute on Wednesday copies of a video that the miners sent for their relatives.
Cost of major Dominican highway skyrockets to US$360.7M	9/1/2010 6:29 AM
SANTO DOMINGO.- President Leonel Fernandez submitted to the Senate, two amendments to the construction and financing contracts of the Coral Highway, which raises the cost of the work from US$272.3 million to US$360.7 million.
Parrot detained as a key witness in Dominican Republic murder	9/1/2010 6:13 AM
SANTIAGO. - A parrot and its alleged revelations on a murder has become the talk of the city, and have even led to the bird’s arrest and detention in the Central Police Command.
Judge allows a lien on detained Spaniard’s luxury building	9/1/2010 5:45 AM
Santo Domingo. - A judge authorized the construction company Deconalva, which built the luxury condo building Atiemar owned by the Spaniard Arturo del Tiempo, to register a lien against its 34 apartments.
Another major Government fraud case rattles Dominicans	8/31/2010 2:09 PM
Santo Domingo.- Santiago prosecutor Jenny Reynoso confirmed Tuesday that the Assistant DA who requested the release of the accused in the more than RD$100 million Customs Agency fraud has a son who works in that entity.
Montana to acquire destination mountain biking development in Dominican Republic	8/31/2010 2:34 PM
SALT LAKE CITY, (BUSINESS WIRE).- Montana Mining Corp., a public company trading under the symbol MMGC.OB (Montana), today announced that it has signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire JBP SA (JBP) from Park Capital Management, Inc. (Park). JBP is a private company headquartered in the Dominican Republic that owns approximately 700 acres on which it intends to develop a destination mountain biking resort.
New deputy: It’s time to confront "ruthless" journalists	8/31/2010 1:23 PM
SANTO DOMINGO. - The deputy Luis (Luisin) Jiménez made his congressional debut today by accusing journalists of being responsible for their bad image among the population.
US agents arrest a Dominican with 30 Ks of drugs in pots and pans	9/2/2010 9:40 AM
NEW YORK.- Customs and Border Protection Agents (CBP) arrested the Dominican Bernardo González in Kennedy International Airport, for trying to smuggle 30 kilos of cocaine with a street value of US$1.4 million.
Justice Ministry tops all agencies in transparency for 4th straight year(Update)	9/2/2010 8:01 AM
SANTO DOMINGO.- The Justice Ministry topped all Government agencies with an index of 99 points from a maximum of 100, in adherence to the norms that promote transparency in public management in 2010.

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