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100% teledensity in DR

The director of the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel), Jose Rafael Vargas announced that the DR has reached 100% teledensity. As of 4 March 2010, there were 9,763,086 lines compared to a population estimated at 9,742,374 inhabitants.
Vargas said the telecom law had spurred an attractive market for telecom operations. He said 18 companies today compete for the Dominican consumer. Market leaders in the DR are Claro-Codetel, Orange, Tricom, Skymax, Trilogy-Viva and Wind.
Vargas said that for the occasion, the secretary general of the International Telecommunications Union, Hamadoun Toure sent a message congratulating the DR for having reached 100% teledensity "one of the most important indicators of a modern society."
"The telecom sector has been the motor of growth in the DR," Vargas explained. From 2005-2009, the sector was 30% of the real growth in the national economy. He said that telecom sector share of the Gross Domestic Product in 2009 was 17%.
Vargas advocates for a gradual decline in the 28% taxation rate on telecom services, arguing that this would promote an increase in the use of the services.
Indotel statistics show that as of March 2010, there were 445,793 Internet accounts and 2,871,353 estimated users for 29.5% Internet penetration. This includes the access to broadband Internet for low income Dominicans at the 1,000 government-operated digital halls or CCI Internet training centers located nationwide.
Vargas said that as of 4 March there were 8,775,500 mobile telephone lines for a 90.1% mobile teledensity. The first mobile phone was sold in 1987 in the DR.
There are also 987,586 fixed telephone lines for a fixed teledensity of 10.1%.

Canada's Jean thanks DR

During her visit on Wednesday to Santo Domingo, Canada Governor General Michaelle Jean offered Canada's thanks to the DR for its help in the aftermath of January's devastating earthquake in Haiti. Jean visited Santo Domingo after a 2-day visit to Haiti. She met President Leonel Fernandez and members of his cabinet at the Presidential Palace.
"Canada is delighted to see how eagerly the government and people of the Dominican Republic have shown their support to their neighbor Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas. We would also like to thank the Dominican Republic for all the support and assistance provided to the Canadian relief effort. This close collaboration is proof of the solid ties that exist between our two countries," Jean said.
Speaking after a luncheon hosted by President Fernandez and First Lady Margarita Cedeno, Jean said:
"I am delighted by how quickly the Dominican Republic has moved to support its neighbor, Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas.
"Mr President, you have made it a "point of honor" to cooperate with Haiti in terms of solidarity, and those words of yours are a powerful sign of hope.
"Those words speak to us of openness, and make us dream of a new ethic of sharing which the world needs so much these days, when the "fend for yourself" mentality prevents us from focusing collectively on what unites us."
She also took time to meet with a women's group and discuss violence and health threats Dominican women face, and listen to complaints of the lack of abortion rights. Jean advised the women to lobby men of authority, such as judges, firemen, police officers and lawyers to change cultural attitudes. As reported in the Canadian press, she said its important for men to understand that to empower women is to empower the entire nation. Her five-year term as Governor General comes to an end this year.
After meeting with President Leonel Fernandez she participated in a "press conference" that was called. But she did not take questions.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/...

Very low inflation

The Central Bank reported that in February the Consumer Price Index was 0.14% compared to January. So far this year, accumulated inflation has been 1.45%. The Central Bank says that the decline in the price of fuel has kept prices stable.
The Central Bank says that the food products index was up 1.06%, reflecting the increased demand for exports to Haiti.

Henry Peralta to the AMET

The chief of the Police, Guillermo Rafael Guzman Fermin announced he was appointing deputy chief of the Police, Major General Henry Peralta to head the Metropolitan Transport Authority (Amet) until the President appoints a new director.
Diario Libre reports that after incumbent Brigade General Rafael Bencosme Candelier learned about his retirement from the military by Presidential decree last week, he abandoned the post. When retiring the former Police general, the President did not announce his replacement.
Bencosme Candelier's name is on a list made public regarding military officers that would be requested for questioning in the former army captain Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo case of drug trafficking being heard in New York. Prior to his appointment to direct the transport authority, he was director of investigations at the National Police.

Copper exports

The Center for Export and Investment (CEI-RD) indicates that copper and metal scrap exports in 2009 were US$67 million in 2009. The export of metals has been gradually increasing. These were US$18 million in 2008, and US$1.4 million in 2007. DR exports the metal to China, Korea, Taiwan, US and Canada.
The Department of Customs this week ordered a ban on copper and scrap metal exports as a way to combat theft of copper wirings and other stolen metals. Increase in theft has been affecting operations of telecom and electricity distribution.
Telecom directors put the pressure on the government to stop the export of stolen goods, finding in the new director of Customs, Rafael Camilo the will to take action. Camilo says at Dominican ports there are 500 freight containers with metal for export that will be inspected.
Ricardo Koenig, of the Dominican Association of Exporters, agreed that there is a need to regulate the exports.

More school milk intoxications

24 more children have been intoxicated after drinking school breakfast chocolate milk drinks in Nagua (16) and La Vega (8) public schools. The press has reported that Ladom chocolate flavored milk supplies were said to have caused the health problems.
The Ministry of Education called a meeting of school breakfast drink suppliers - Lacteos Dominicanos (Ladom), Leche Fresca, Pasteurizadora Rica, Parmalat, Cepi Cibao and Maria.
As prevention, the Ministry of Education announced it would switch to juice breakfast drinks at 354 public schools, with 60,000 students, until the situation is investigated, as reported in Listin Diario.
The Listin Diario reports that from 5 February there have been 74 cases of children at public schools intoxicated with the school drink.

Vicini: RD$5.3 million for Haiti

The Vicini Group announced it has completed a RD$5.3 million donation for the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos organization that operates two hospitals and aid centers in Haiti. The funds were secured to assist victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Mark Silverman, executive president of the Banco del Progreso and Laura Calventi, administrative director for Fundacion Inicia de Vicini, coordinated the donation. The funds came from donations by employees of the bank, bank client contributions, and primarily from a Vicini company donation.

The DR baseball player pipeline

The New York Times interviewed Sandy Alderson, a former vice president of Major League Baseball, recently appointed consultant to Major League Baseball, who is now focusing reforming the sport's operations in the DR. 10% of all MLB players are from the DR, that is recognized for providing some of the biggest names in the game.
Alderson has now been entrusted to find ways to resolve issues involving the largely unregulated youth feeder system in which the use of performance-enhancing drugs; age and identity fraud; and rogue sports agents is commonplace.
"This is not about someone coming down here and breaking all the china and pointing a finger," Alderson said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "It's really a commitment to get this all figured out and do it in a way that leaves baseball and the Dominican Republic in a better position."
Alderson was asked to report on how the Dominican talent pipeline to the majors could be revamped in the wake of embarrassing disclosures that the Dominican Summer League had the highest rate of positive drug tests in baseball and that teams had awarded multimillion-dollar signing bonuses to players who were, in fact, much older than they claimed to be, says The New York Times.
The newspaper report says that MLB is especially suspicious of the role of the independent scouts who train young players until they can sign as professionals at age 16. The scouts, known here as "buscones," often demand half of players' signing bonuses from teams and have been known to advise players on taking performance-enhancing drugs as well as lying about their age in order to be more attractive prospects.
"It's not a one-way street; these are mutual problems that have to be dealt with comprehensively," Alderson said. "Not all the problems originate with the Dominican Republic and the buscones. There are people on the team side who are playing a role in aiding this."
Alderson announced he would be looking into restructuring Major League Baseball's office in Santo Domingo. He wants more supervision of scouts and executives of major league teams doing business in the country and to expand educational programs informing players about the perils of performance-enhancing drugs.
He also said MLB would create its own youth baseball program in the country.
Alderson told TNYT he would try to strike the right tone when he speaks with members of the news media, government officials and business leaders. "We have to be good corporate citizens here," he said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/sports/baseball/11dominican.html?th&emc=th

ARS - the best business

A report in Clave newspaper today says that Dominican health plan administrators show yields higher than those of commercial banks, traditionally the most profitable of businesses in the DR. Reporter Edwin Ruiz points out the lucrative business the health plan operations are.
In the case of ARS Humano, the leading plan, yield over capital investment was 154%. But ARS Palic enjoyed a yield of 436%, and ARS Colonial enjoyed 452% yield.
Overall earning of the 24 companies was RD$1.23 billion, with a net earning after taxes of RD$708 million. The report makes the point that the demonstrated high levels of profitability have not been passed on to insured persons in added benefits.
The leading health plan administrators in the DR are:
Ars Humano (605,743 affiliates); Palic (241,828); Senasa (237,140); Ars Universal (224,160); Ars Salud Segura (208,889); Ars Semma (157,118); SDSS (69,423); La Colonial (48,880); Ars-Simag (33,611).

The mystery flight

Security organizations are investigating a small plane flight that departed from the La Isabela Airport (Joaquin Balaguer at El Higuero) using both forged registration and flight plan. The pilot had filed he would be flying to Port-au-Prince, but instead, once in the air he apparently changed his route to head in the direction of South America and disappeared from Dominican radars.
The authorities now say that the plane, a Cessna Centurion 210L, No. 21059588, departed from the Santo Domingo airport on Sunday, 7 March using the registration of a plane that is in repair at one of the hangars at the airport. Investigating the case are the National Department of Investigations (DNI), the Specialized Airport Security Corps (CESA), the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC), and the Department of Migration, as reported in Diario Libre. The Cessna is known to have arrived on 27 January via the Santiago International Airport from Opa Locka, Miami airport. It had the registration N4688Q. Records indicate that a routine check carried out by the IDAC showed the pilot of the airplane was a Colombian using a student license.

More on the Torre Atiemar

Arturo del Tiempo Marques, one of the developers of the Torre Atiemar (Pedro Henriquez Urena & Mexico) and Torre Margot in Santo Domingo (Anacaona) is under arrest in Barcelona. Now local news sources indicate that the luxury high rise developer, who was arrested on 2 March as a suspect in a cocaine shipment to Spain, was a fugitive of Spainish justice for his past involvement in a EUR40 million fraud regarding a municipal farming and mining company, according to Diario Libre. Del Tiempo Marques is now in jail in Barcelona with one of his partners, Antonio Nunez Sebria for a shipment of 1,200 kilos of cocaine that arrived from the DR on 2 March.
President Leonel Fernandez himself had praised the investment of the Spaniard in the tower, when participating in October 2005 in the groundbreaking ceremony for the highw rise.
News portal 7dias.com.do asks whether at the time Del Tiempo's background was checked by government security and by the Banco de Reservas, the financier of the tower. A check carried out by the news portal showed the Spaniard did not have a substantial business background for the mega investment in the Atiemar or Margot towers promoted by Del Tiempo in the DR.
Yesterday, the drug advisor to the President, lawyer Marino (Vincho) Castillo told the press that he had reports that the father of the chief of the Police, Guillermo Guzman Acosta was the owner of an apartment at the tower. Earlier, 7dias.com.do had reported the chief of the police had an apartment at the tower. News reports now indicate that Guzman Acosta financed the apartment by selling a US$1.7 million apartment he owned at the Anacaona Avenue. Guzman Acosta is a former chief of the Police.
The Atiemar apartments' selling price was US$1.3 million, or approximately RD$46 million.
In a statement responding to questions as to why the Banco de Reservas took up the financing of the tower, the bank issued a statement saying that to approve a financing a client check is done and proof of economic solvency needs to be presented. 7dias.com.do had reported private banks rejected the financing.
http://www.presidencia.gob.do/app/article.aspx?id=2266
http://www.7dias.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=70740

4.2 earthquake in Northwest

A 4.2 magnitude earthquake shook Montecristi and other northwestern provinces at around 2:20am today. Given the hour and the medium intensity, the earthquake did not disturb most activities in the region. The Seismological Institute at the UASD was felt in Santiago, Mao, Dajabon, and Santiago Rodriguez provinces. He said the epicenter was 15 kms away from Montecristi and 225 kms away from Santo Domingo.
No material or human damages have been reported.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010tsam.php

HaviKoro hip hop dancing

The Centro Franklin is sponsoring the performances in the DR of the HaviKoro hip hop group from Houston, Texas. The group uses dance to educate youths to reject drug consumption. HaviKoro is scheduled to offer workshops and presentations in Cabarete, Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo. The performances will be at Playa Cabarete on 17 at 7:30pm. Also at the Centro Cultural Narciso Gonzalez on Saturday, 20 March at 7:30pm. The clinics are free.
Clinics for hip hop/break dance in Santo Domingo will be on Friday 19 March at 3pm and Saturday, 20 March at 10am. To participate in the clinics and for more information on the group in the DR, call 809 566-3131, Ext. 233.
HaviKoro has performed in Helsinki, Moscow, Paris, Frankfurt, Hannover, Tokyo, Seoul, New Zealand, London, Zurich, India, Baku and throughout the US.
HaviKoro started out as a Houston-based hip hop/house crew and has gained experience in several forms of dance such as break dancing, popping and funk.

Presidente Beer Festival this summer

Presidente Beer announced it will sponsor the 7th edition of the Festival Presidente de Musica Latina that has always attracted the best of Hispanic performers.
Rafael Menicucci, president of the brewery, made the announcement yesterday during a press conference at Cane Restaurant. He said Puerto Rican Tony Mojena, would be the producer.
The event is scheduled for 27, 28 and 29 August at the Olympic Stadium. But Menicucci made the point that the Festival would be just the closing of an exciting Presidente beer-sponsored summer. The Verano Presidente will bring many great shows and promotions to the country, and primarily to Santo Domingo, on occasion of the celebration of the American Capital of Culture in Santo Domingo this year.
The Presidente Latin Music Festival was held in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005. It was suspended in 2007 when the beer company announced a decline in sales due to new taxes levied on beer.
For more on upcoming events, see http://www.dr1.com/calendar

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Haitian students Sail on a Ship of Hope in Santo Domingo?	3/12/2010 10:42 AM
Santo Domingo.- A groundbreaking event took place in the DR which ended officially yesterday. Amistad America, Inc.; the Cross Cultural Center of Santo Domingo and IERCEF with the support of the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, hosted six Haitian and two Dominican students to participate in a team building, international relations program.
Batey Relief takes dental, medical care for Haiti’s quake victims	3/10/2010 8:05 AM
Anse-a-Pitre, HAITI. – As part of its continuing disaster relief intervention in Haiti, the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) is dispatching on March 27th a team of 20 dental and medical specialists from the United States to far-reached earthquake-affected border commune of Anse-a-Pitre to deliver much needed dental and medical care to children and their families living in impoverished conditions.
Jehovah’s Witnesses offer free Bible instruction in English	3/10/2010 7:11 AM
Santo Domingo – There is now help available for English speakers with a spiritual inclination here in Santo Domingo. Starting January 3, 2010 and continuing every Sunday thereafter, Christian meetings are held in English at the “Salon del Reino de los Testigos de Jehová,” #33 Avenida Francia on the corner of Galvan, in the Gascue sector of Santo Domingo.
Autohaus presents its racing team	3/5/2010 1:46 PM
Santo Domingo.- The Mazda - Mcdonald’s – Coastal - Auto Haus Racing team, and its new auto Mazda 6 Tindol Motorsport, was presented to the press last night, and will be competing in the Nacional Motorsport Prize in the category DTS.
Dominican Government responds mildly to Washington’s scathing report	3/12/2010 11:41 AM
SANTO DOMINGO.- The Dominican Government today rejected as "unfair and little objective" Washington’s report calling corruption an ill shared by it’s law enforcement agencies, which threatens the respect for human rights in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Energy czar announces US$287M payment, normal output soon	3/11/2010 9:20 AM
Santo Domingo.- The CEO of the State-owned Power Companies (CDEEE) yesterday announced steps to pay US$287 million to the generators on March 31, thus reaching the goal agreed in the stand-by agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Thursday dawn 4.1 tremor shakes Dominican Northwest	3/11/2010 8:19 AM
Santo Domingo. - A 4.1 magnitude tremor was felt at 2:20 a.m. Thursday in Dominican territory, with the epicenter located to 10 kilometers deep, 15 kilometers from Montecristi (northwest) and 225 from Santo Domingo, the United States Geodetic Survey (USGS) reported.
U.S. networks air plight of Dominican woman weighs over 1,000 pounds	3/11/2010 7:44 AM
NEW YORK. - The plight of the Dominican Yubelkis Vargas, 40, who weighs more than 1,000 pounds as the result of chronic obesity, has been made public by Hispanic television networks in the United States.
Dominican Telecom agency announces teledensity milestone	3/11/2010 7:26 AM
Santo Domingo. - Dominican Telecom Institute (Indotel) president Jose Rafael Vargas said the country has 9.8 million fixed and mobile lines, around 3 million Web users with 445,793 Internet accounts, for or a penetration of 29.5%.
Authorities investigate "mysterious" plane vanished from radar	3/11/2010 6:49 AM
Santo Domingo.- Intelligence agencies investigate how a "mysterious" aircraft took off from Higüero International Airport with fake registry and a flight plan initially to Port-au-Prince, but once in flight changed course toward South America, vanishing from radar screens.
Dominican, Canada leaders discuss realities of Haiti rebuild	3/11/2010 6:17 AM
Santo Domingo.- President Leonel Fernandez and Canada Governor general Michaëlle Jean discussed to this Wednesday an attainable plan for Haiti’s reconstruction which involves Dominican civil society and the Haitian people.
Washington awards controversial Haitians’ rights activist in Dominican Republic	3/11/2010 5:48 AM
WASHINGTON.- Sonia Pierre, the controversial Haitian immigrants’ rights activist in Dominican Republic, yesterday received the Woman of Courage Award, together with nine other women who stand out in the fight for human rights.
Dominican Republic February prices climb 0.14%, paced by foods	3/10/2010 2:17 PM
Santo Domingo.- Dominican Republic’s Central Bank said consumer prices in February climbed 0.14% compared with January, which takes the accumulated inflation rate in the first two months to 1.45 percent.
Hurricane season may be “extreme,” AccuWeather says	3/12/2010 9:55 AM
Santo Domingo.- In its early forecast for this year’s Atlantic hurricane season AccuWeather.com says it will be not only more active than last year, but sees the potential for an "extreme season" with above-normal threats.
Dominican beach town joins to reject a candidate	3/12/2010 11:12 AM
Letter to Leonel Fernandez, President the PLD party and Carlos Morales Troncoso, President of the PRSC party:

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