http://www.dominicantoday.com The first online newspaper in english language of the Dominican Republic. en-us Copyright 2008 DominicanToday.com Merit Designs ICM 60 News http://www.dominicantoday.com/rss/rss.gif http://www.dominicantoday.com The first online newspaper in english language of the Dominican Republic. http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2007/12/7/26319/OPEC-approves-US30M-loan-for-the-Dominican-Republic Santo Domingo.- Industry and Commerce minister Melanio Paredes said the meeting governors of the OPEC Fund for International Development approved a soft financing of US$30 million for the Dominican Republic, for the reconstruction of highways. Economy Fri, 7 Dec 2007 12:03:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2007/12/7/26319/OPEC-approves-US30M-loan-for-the-Dominican-Republic http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2007/12/10/26354/Trucks-buses-to-get-10M-gallons-of-subsidized-diesel-starting-today SANTO DOMINGO.- Truckers and passenger vehicle drives will begin to receive the one million gallons of diesel with a 32 peso Government-subsidy today, after Industry and Commerce minister Melanio Paredes signed the regulation to apply the agreement. Economy Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:58:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2007/12/10/26354/Trucks-buses-to-get-10M-gallons-of-subsidized-diesel-starting-today http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2007/12/10/26349/22M-Dominicans-have-Internet-access-56-have-cellphones-CNSIC-says Santo Domingo.- A total of 2.2 million Dominicans, or 23.8 percent of the population, have access to Internet, said of the National Commission for the Society of Information and Knowledge (CNSIC) president Jose Rafael Vargas on Friday. Economy Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:08:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2007/12/10/26349/22M-Dominicans-have-Internet-access-56-have-cellphones-CNSIC-says http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2007/12/9/26338/Opposition-candidate-blames-president-for-FTZ-losses Santiago de los Caballeros.- Presidential candidate for the main opposition PRD party, Miguel Vargas Maldonado, stated that “the loss of over 70,000 direct jobs in the Free Trade Zones is the result of inertia and lack of sensitivity on the part of president Leonel Fernández, who has said that he does not believe in that business model”.Vargas, who was on a campaigning trip to the country's second-largest city, said that Fernández “did nothing to prevent the FTZ companies from being hit by internal and external factors”. He went on to say that when he becomes president he plans to launch “a strategy geared at strengthening the most competitive elements and providing the support needed for these industrial parks to diversify and become export platforms for goods and services in which we can be successful”. Economy Sun, 9 Dec 2007 12:11:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2007/12/9/26338/Opposition-candidate-blames-president-for-FTZ-losses http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/2/30275/Ruling-party-mulls-motorway-to-link-Dominican-east Santo Domingo.- The ruling PLD party’s Political Committee (CP) last night heard information from different commissions, and discussed the denunciation by former Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez cost of the Coral motorway has been ballooned. Economy Tue, 2 Dec 2008 12:15:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/2/30275/Ruling-party-mulls-motorway-to-link-Dominican-east http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/28/30237/Buying-power-must-improve-not-wages-business-leader-says SANTO DOMINGO.- National Business Council (Conep) president Lisandro Macarrulla said if the salaries in terms of dollars is compared with those in the Central America countries that have a Free Trade Agreement, ours may be higher, but among the lowest in terms of spending power, for which the employees’ spending power needs a boost, more than a wage increase. Economy Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:34:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/28/30237/Buying-power-must-improve-not-wages-business-leader-says http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/28/30236/Fuel-prices-fall-for-7th-straigth-week SANTO DOMINGO. - The Industry and Commerce posted lower fuel prices for the 7th straight week, so from November 29 to December 5 the gallon of premium gasoline will cost RD$136.20 or less RD$0.70 and regular will cost RD$123.20, or RD$0.40 less. Economy Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:12:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/28/30236/Fuel-prices-fall-for-7th-straigth-week http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/28/30228/Dominican-Customs-ports-extend-office-hours-to-8-pm SANTO DOMINGO.- Starting December 1 the Dominican Customs Agency and the Dominican Port Authority will extend their working hours until 8 p.m. in the Multimodal Caucedo and Eastern Haina ports, to deal with the jump in shipments during the holidays and improve the service to the public. Economy Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:16:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/28/30228/Dominican-Customs-ports-extend-office-hours-to-8-pm http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/28/30226/Dominican-Government-has-US100M-to-tackle-dollar-speculators SANTO DOMINGO.- Central banker (BC) Héctor Valdez Albizu revealed yesterday said the monetary policy will be relaxed starting February. Economy Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:35:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/28/30226/Dominican-Government-has-US100M-to-tackle-dollar-speculators http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/27/30217/Top-hotelier-says-everyone-supports-the-El-Coral-motorway SANTO DOMINGO.- National Hotels and Restaurants Association (Asonahores) president Haydée Kuret de Rainieri yesterday said the tourism industry supports the construction of the Coral motorway, because the country needs to improve its communication channels. Economy Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:45:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/27/30217/Top-hotelier-says-everyone-supports-the-El-Coral-motorway http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30272/Industry-chief-blames-merchants-businesses-for-high-prices Santo Domingo .- The Industry and Commerce miniter Jose Ramon Fadul yesterday said merchants and part of the business sector are to blame for the still high prices of services and essential goods. "It seems that there is a group of them that doesn’t understand the moment Dominican Republicis living through." Economy Mon, 1 Dec 2008 19:50:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30272/Industry-chief-blames-merchants-businesses-for-high-prices http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30271/Government-workers-RD10B-bonus-would-boost-sagging-retail-sales SANTO DOMINGO.- The Dominican Government’s announcement as early as Monday afternoon, of the Chrismas bonus payment and wages of its workers, which last year was more than RD$10.0 billion, money expected to boost sagging retail sales. Economy Mon, 1 Dec 2008 19:42:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30271/Government-workers-RD10B-bonus-would-boost-sagging-retail-sales http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30268/Border-Council-asks-Venezuelas-help-to-finish-border-highway Santo Domingo.- The National Border Council (CNF) asked Venezuela's support and cooperation to repair and finish the international highway between Dominican Republic and Haiti, and said policies and actions are needed to improve the living conditions of people along the border. Economy Mon, 1 Dec 2008 15:29:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30268/Border-Council-asks-Venezuelas-help-to-finish-border-highway http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30261/Three-floor-limit-harms-Puerto-Platas-development-hotelier-says PUERTO PLATA. - Law 256-75 that limits the buildings to only three floors from Punta Isabela to Cabrera is in the main obstacle to investments as high as US$1.0 billion in real estate tourism projects in the zone of Cabarete, says the head of the local hoteliers Economy Mon, 1 Dec 2008 13:03:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30261/Three-floor-limit-harms-Puerto-Platas-development-hotelier-says http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30259/Dominican-breweries-generate-100000-jobs-3-of-GDP SANTO DOMINGO.- The president of the Dominican beer breweries grouped in Adace said the industry generates more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs, and represents nearly 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Economy Mon, 1 Dec 2008 12:16:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30259/Dominican-breweries-generate-100000-jobs-3-of-GDP http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30257/Expert-warns-against-exploiting-most-coveted-Dominican-beach SANTO DOMINGO.- An expert of New York’s Columbia University said the area of Bahia de las Aguilas must remain in its present virgin state to prevent the impact of development. Economy Mon, 1 Dec 2008 11:40:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/12/1/30257/Expert-warns-against-exploiting-most-coveted-Dominican-beach http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/28/30238/Alien-species-invade-Dominican-Republic Santo Domingo. - Raccoons in the Isla Catalina national park, snails that devour rice plantations, insects and fungi that close the doors to certain foreign markets, are among the ore than 144 species of fauna and flora alien the native biodiversity that came to stay and whose impact on the economy and even on human health have yet to be assessed. Economy Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:02:00 GMT http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/11/28/30238/Alien-species-invade-Dominican-Republic