Archive for September, 2023
The Dominican Airlines Association (ADLA) is against the new US and Dominican aviation agreement pending congressional approval, as reported in Listin Diario.
Other sources indicate the treaty includes clauses whereby the Dominican Republic would have to accept any airline and would be responsible for passengers affected when the airline cannot deliver as contracted.
ADLA is looking out for its business interests. Omar Chahin, president of ADLA says it would be detrimental to Dominican airlines if the country does not previously pass an equitable tax incentive law.
The Dominican Airlines Association says the government first needs to approve a tax incentive law promoting national aviation development before signing on to the Open Skies Treaty with the United States bill as presented to Congress.
In a statement, ADLA recognized the support received from President Luis Abinader.
“Dominican capital-funded airlines have been a fundamental pillar in our country’s connectivity with the rest of the Caribbean, and are well known by the diaspora, businessmen, and tourism in this region. However, the aviation industry has faced unprecedented challenges due to global, regional and national factors that have threatened our operations and economic sustainability,” says Omar Chahin, president of ADLA.
Chahin commented the aviation industry in the United States is over-protected. He understands the Dominican Republic needs new legislation to equalize the competitiveness field for Dominican airlines.
“We take this opportunity to reaffirm our support for the initiatives of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC) to demonstrate the qualities and capabilities of our country’s aviation system and prevent us from being demoted under the IASA program of the Federal Aviation Administration. of the United States of America (FAA),” says ADLA in the statement.
The members of ADLA are GECA, Helidosa, Air Century, Arajet, SAP, Sky High and Sky Cana.
Source: DR1, Listin Diario
Sep 25, 2023
The construction work on the new bridge over the Camú River in the Sabaneta de Cangrejos community is being carried out at a good pace.
Last Friday, the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, the Administrative Minister of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza, and other public officials supervised the work. The four-lane viaduct was erected by Grupo Estrella, with a million-dollar investment by the central government, since the old bridge collapsed more than a year ago. Engineer Manuel Estrella, executive of the construction company, guaranteed that the road infrastructure would be ready in three months and would be delivered on December 23. While the senator for Puerto Plata, Ginette Bournigal de Jiménez, said that “the construction of the Cangrejos bridge continues at full speed” in her publication on her Facebook account. “Ready for stalls and this week to put rods, the top of the bridge is made of metal and quick to install, for the unbelievers,” said the congresswoman.
Source: Puerto Plata Digital
Sep 15, 2023
Discussions between the Dominican Republic and Haitian authorities regarding the diverting of the waters of the border Masacre River are slow and erratic, but ongoing.
The Deputy Minister of Multilateral Foreign Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Relations Rubén Arturo Silié Valdez has said that Haitian officials would meet at the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Santo Domingo to resolve the impasse caused by the restart of the construction of the irrigation canal that seeks to divert water from the Massacre River.
According to a publication from the Office of the Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, the meeting in Santo Domingo gathers members of the Binational Water Table of the Bilateral Mixed Commission and is taking place to find a fair and definitive solution to the problem of the shared water resources of the Massacre River.
Le Nouvelliste in Haiti reports that Haitians involved in the construction of the canal on the river are determined not to give up. They will see the project through to the end. Jean Brévil Weston, coordinator of the Farmers’ Movement of the Maribaroux Plain, the organization behind the project, stated that the farmers will not yield to the pressure from Dominican authorities. “I don’t think any entity will ask us to suspend the canal construction project. Our position is clear. The canal or death. We are ready to be buried in the canal,” declared Weston.
Ramon Colombo, a Dominican journalist, writes in El Caribe that the canal seeks to bring water for a mining project.
Meanwhile, Noticias SIN reports that despite the ultimatum of President Abinader to suspend visas and close the border, the construction of the canal continues.
Environmentalist Luis Carvajal indicated that the joint declaration of the binational meeting on the situation of the transboundary waters of the Dajabón or Massacre River, signed by the Dominican Republic and Haiti in 2021, contains seven points that, if applied, even partially would have avoided the conflict that currently exists over the restart of the work.
“It envisaged basing any information on technical knowledge, creating a permanent technical table and an advisory council, that any intervention would be subject to an environmental evaluation on both sides, that it would respond to a social interest rather than any type of interest, that it would imply a program to reduce water consumption through crop change, develop an international diplomacy of cooperation in the management of transboundary water and the entire debate on the water problem would be carried out within the framework of diplomacy,” he expressed when interviewed on the program, El Sol de la Tarde. He explained that the restart of the work as has happened is a provocation that should not occur, but the solution is to sit down again to dialogue and reactivate diplomacy.
Meanwhile, both President Luis Abinader and Haitian President Ariel Henry have programmed to travel to New York for the 15-25 September 2023 United Nations General Assembly.
Source: DR1, Listin Diario
Sep 15, 2023
The vulnerability of the perimeter fence under construction by the Dominican government at the border with Haiti is evidenced by the destruction of a sector, reportedly by Haitian vandals. The hole in the metallic mesh would have been opened to facilitate the irregular entry of Haitians into Dominican territory through the La Sal sector of northwestern Dajabón province.
The break was carried out at a time when the Dominican government had shut down the official gate through which thousands of Haitians would cross over on market days. No one checked who had returned to Haiti.
The Dominican government is investing RD$1.75 billion in constructing the cement and metallic mesh wall, covering 54 km of border with Haiti. The wall includes 19 surveillance towers and 10 gates for patrol access. The construction is under the Ministry of Defense.
President Luis Abinader recently defended the construction of the fence. He said several cattle ranchers have confirmed cattle poaching has been reduced.
Source: DR1, El Dia
Sep 15, 2023
President Luis Abinader announced the start of construction of a domestic airport in San Juan de la Maguana province. The airport is scheduled to be in operation by the end of 2024.
The San Juan de la Maguana domestic airport will offer general aviation facilities. The airport will be built by taxpayer money in an area of 700,000 square meters at Km 7 of the San Juan de la Maguana-Las Matas de Farfán highway.
The Airport Department director, Víctor Pichardo, says it is the first time in history that the institution has embarked on the construction of two airports. The government is also building the Cabo Rojo International Airport in Pedernales.
“Today, more than the beginning of the airport’s construction, we are taking a first step towards the development of the entire region,” said Pichardo, highlighting the government’s commitment to bring development to every corner.
At the time of announcing the San Juan de la Maguana domestic airport, President Abinader also inaugurated the first industrial free zone park in the southwestern province. The new manufacturing park starts with two warehouses that will generate 600 jobs in tobacco. Training for the employees is provided by the Professional Technical Training Institute (Infotep).
Source: DR1, ListinDiario
Sep 15, 2023
The director of Migratory Affairs of the Deputy Ministry of Management and Naturalization of the Ministry of Interior and Police, lawyer Laura Maríñez says that from January to June 2023, Haitians displaced US citizens in real estate purchases in the Dominican Republic, according to official records.
Mariñez explained that Ministry of Interior and Police records indicate that foreigners purchased 160 real estate properties in the country for more than RD$1 billion in the first half of 2023.
Most of the buyers have purchased real estate in La Altagracia, Samaná, and Puerto Plata.
She explained that the review revealed Haitians had ranked in fifth place in real estate purchases from 2020 to 2022. For that period, most properties purchased were by US citizens, followed by Canadians, Italians, Germans, and in fifth place were Haitian citizens. “In other words, Haitians were already showing interest in acquiring real estate in the national territory,” she said.
Maríñez said that the audit establishes that most foreigners who acquire real estate in the country do not have legal residence in the Dominican Republic.
Mariñez mentioned that the practice has been to report the purchase of the property after the purchase.
Source: DR1, En Segundos
Sep 14, 2023
