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Archive for April, 2022
DR leads of deaths by electrocution
A doctor at a leading burn unit in Santo Domingo has commented that the Dominican Republic is the world leader in fatalities caused by electrocution. The Ministry of the Interior and Police recently released numbers that seem to confirm this. Nearly 900 persons perished by electrocution in the five years between 2017 and 2021. In 2021 alone, nearly 180 persons died in this manner.
Most of the deaths are likely to occur due to illegal tampering with the electric grid. The statistics indicate that 90% occurred by contact with the electricity grid. This would seem apparent to anyone who has observed the “spaghetti bowls” of wires coming from most electricity poles.
Besides electrocutions, over the past year, there were 319 drownings, 670 suicides, 1,172 homicides, and 1,874 traffic fatalities. The latter once again confirms the Dominican position at the top of the world in traffic fatalities per 100,000 population.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Apr 27, 2022
Bridge failure affects traffic between Puerto Plata and Sosua
Authorities in Puerto Plata reported the temporary interruption of traffic from Puerto Plata to Sosúa on the north coast due to a structural failure of the Sabaneta de Cangrejos Bridge over the Camú River, near the Puerto Plata International Airport.
As reported in El Caribe, residents say the bridge broke due to a lack of maintenance.
Claritza Rochette Peralta, governor of the province of Puerto Plata, said an assessment is needed to decide whether to reopen the bridge.
As a preventive measure, the government authorities keep the bridge over the Camú River in the Cangrejos community closed, after the viaduct suffered a failure in its structure on Tuesday night. Heavy equipment has enabled an alternate passage through the Pérez and El Alto de Chila sectors, exactly joining the Sosúa and Montellano municipalities, thus allowing the taxiing of public, tourist and cargo transport vehicles.
It is recalled that, after the collapse of a vertical beam on the aforementioned bridge, there was a dangerous collapse on the right side of the metal structure, which caused great fear in drivers due to the threat of collapse.
The Provincial Governor of Puerto Plata, Claritza Rochette de Senior, appeared at the scene and carried out evaluation work on the situation of said bridge, which was built during the dictatorship of General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina. Rochette de Senior was accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Supervision and Control of Public Works, Roberto Herrera, as well as the Cibao-Norte regional director of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC), Basilio González. The municipal mayors of Sosúa and San Felipe de Puerto Plata, Wilfredo Olivences and Roquelito García, the general manager of EDENORTE, Andrés Cueto, and the president of CODIA in Puerto Plata, Romerson Cid Martínez, were also there.
Source: DR1, El Caribe, PuertoPlata Digital
Apr 27, 2022
Ministry of Tourism procedures can be processed online
The Ministry of Tourism launched on 22 April 2022 its Central Unit for Tourism Procedures. The new digital platform links government entities related to the approval process for projects and licenses in the tourism sector. The platform seeks to reduce time, minimize procedures and give users needed supervisory control when seeking permits or tourism project approvals. The system enables the user to manage different projects and requirements under a single profile, verify each stage of these, and have constant feedback and communication with the required divisions within the Ministry of Tourism.
President Luis Abinader was present to launch the platform that is part of the government’s “zero bureaucracy strategy.” “Undoubtedly, today we are beginning to see the first firm steps of this strategy, an irrefutable proof of the results that can be achieved if we work together with the same purpose,” said the President.
Tourism Minister David Collado explained the launch is after 18 months of planning and implementing the digitalization and automating of internal processes at the Ministry of Tourism. “An efficient administration puts the citizen and the investor at the center of attention. Transparency is turning on the light, and only those who work to improve the institutions can proudly show their work. Working hand in hand is not about sitting in the same place. It is about all of us being part and being able to influence the results, and that is what we are doing today,” said Collado.
MITUR’s Director of Planning and Projects (DPP), Shaney Peña explained that from now on a digital signature and a unique QR code for approved plans is a feature that will save time, streamline all processes and double the team’s productivity.
Brenda Morales, director of the Technical Unit of the Tourism Development Council (CONFOTUR), emphasized the importance of the interconnection of institutions such as Hacienda (the Treasury) and the Ministry of Environment, a qualitative leap in the user experience.
The digital certifications and facility to make payments on the same platform will save time and resources for investors, managers, and the entire value chain.
Before the arrival of the current administration, all the procedures and processes of the Ministry of Tourism were manual, requiring the user to visit the government institution several times, and file paperwork. There was limited capacity for online follow-up.
Source: Ministry of Tourism
Apr 27, 2022
New access road to Esmeralda Beach in Miches district
Corporación Rivera del Yásica announced it has arranged for provisional access through their private property to Playa La Ensenada after a meeting at the Ministry of Tourism on 21 April 2022. The agreement was reached with the authorities of the Municipality of Miches, represented by Eng. Luz María Mercedes, Mayor of Miches, and the councilmen Alonso Simó and Yumsy Pimentel; Carlos Moratorio, representative of the Corporación Rivera del Yásica; Yamil Isaías, Alfredo Guzman and Gustavo Román, from the Association of Hotels and Tourism El Seibo-Miches (Pro Miches), and the Deputy Tourism Minister for Destinations, Patricia Mejia, and Papo Blanco, honorary advisor to the Minister of Tourism.
During the meeting, the company representatives agreed to remove the gate located on the private property of the Corporación Rivera del Yásica in response to the community’s interest in having access to Playa La Ensenada.
The Ministry of Tourism will draft in a reasonable time, the definitive alternative solutions for public access in the area, as stipulated in the framework of the Sectoral Plan for Tourism Land Use Planning (POTT) of Miches and in the Public-Private Agreement for the Tourism Development of Miches. It should be noted that this plan has already been initiated in other neighboring areas and is expected to be arrived at in the short term.
The rules to enter limit vehicular access to 120 meters from high tide. There are also rules for waterfront management and environmental protection in order to contribute to the orderly development of the new tourist destination that is north of Punta Cana.
ProMiches groups the main companies that are participating in the tourist development of Miches. These companies and their representatives are: Yamil Isaías, of Development Sicuani; William Phelan, of Proyecto Tropicalia; Paola Mora, of Club Med Miches; José Ramón Astarloa, of Dreams/Secrets Costa Esmeralda; Frank Elías Rainieri, of Ciudad Esmeralda; George A. Nader, of the Maralda Project; José Blanco, of Viva Miches; Marcial Suárez, of Desarrollo Punta Hicaco; Jason Sees, of Agroindustrias Carlyle Sees. Giovanni Rainieri, from Corporación Celedín; Alfredo Guzmán, representative of Corporación Rivera del Yásica; Diego Aguayo, from Bahía Esmeralda; and Carl Carl Carlson, from Inversiones Yubaso.
Source: DR1, Hoy
Apr 27, 2022
Last updated January 23, 2026 at 4:16 pm