DR News
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
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
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
The Ministry of Energy and Mines has reportedly narrowed down to two locations in Sánchez Ramírez province the site where Barrick gold would build its second tailings dam. Sánchez Ramirez is the present location of the Barrick Gold Pueblo Viejo gold mine and the first tailings dam. Barrick says the second tailing dam is necessary to continue gold mining. The DR exported US$1.8 billion in gold ore in 2021, as reported in Diario Libre.
A previous site chosen by the company in Yamasá, Monte Plata province was actively protested and rejected by the community.
Barrick Gold Corporation announced on 8 April 2022 that the Dominican government had completed its strategic review of the location of the new Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) for the Pueblo Viejo mine. The company explains the TSF would support annual production in excess of 800,000 ounces. The $1.4 billion Pueblo Viejo gold mine expansion project will extend production at the Tier One asset beyond 2040.
Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow said the final location and construction of the facility would be subject to the completion of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) in accordance with Dominican Republic legislation and international standards. Once completed, the ESIA would be submitted to the government for evaluation and final decision.
As reported in Mining.com, Barrick’s CEO, Mark Bristow, has previously stated that once completed, the project will deliver a “super mine” capable of producing more than 900,000 oz. of gold over most of its remaining life. The mine plan even calls for two years where production above 1 million oz. is forecast. Pueblo Viejo is a 60-40 joint venture between Barrick and Newmont.
Dominican environmentalist Luis Carvajal criticizes the lack of transparency with which he says the Ministry of Energy and Mines is handling the case. As reported in Diario Libre, Carvajal says: “The law is very clear. In a project of this type, the mining company is the one that has to make a presentation of the alternatives with a primary analysis of those alternatives and the role of the state is, based on that request… to establish if it is pertinent or not.”
Carvajal criticized that the location for the new tailings dam has not been presented and that there is no primary study, contrary to the procedures established in Environmental Law 64-00.
A feature in Tree Hugger explains that tailings are a type of rock waste from the mining industry. When a mineral product is mined, the valuable portion is usually embedded in a rock matrix called ore. Once the ore has been stripped of its valuable minerals, sometimes through the addition of chemicals, it is piled up into tailings. Tailings can reach immense proportions, appearing in the form of large hills (or sometimes ponds) on the landscape.
The tailings dam is a high-risk proposal. In recent years there have been several catastrophic mine tailings dam failures, including those in Canada (Mount Polley), Brazil (San Marco and Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Rondonia), and Peru (Ananea, San Pedro de Coris), Mexico (Canelas). There have also tailings dam failures in Australia, Israel, and the United States.
Apr 11, 2022
Source: El Dia
Some powerful economic interests are said to be behind the building of a drainage canal through a protected area of mangroves in Montecristi. The land, part of the protective areas covered under Environment Law 64-00, is located inside the Estero Balsa Bay area of Manzanillo. The land is adjacent to the highway that connects Montecristi and Dajabon at the Copey Curve.
According to reports in the El Caribe newspaper, the project’s objective is to drain the area, kill the mangroves, and then use the land to plant coconut trees.
The area is known as a winter stop for various species of birds that use the area for breeding and as a refuge. Sources said that traps were set and over pink flamingos were caught and sold in Punta Cana.
Local ecologists have issued a call to Environment Minister Orlando Jorge Mera to intervene in this violation of the Environmental Law.
Source; El Caribe
Apr 11, 2022
The Dominican Society of Plastic Surgeries (Sodocipre) president, Dr. Rubén Carrasco, told N Digital that around 60,000 women underwent plastic surgery in the country last year. This is an average of 164 a day. The medical society has a membership of 212 members.
Carrasco says there is a boom in the demand for cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. The Dominican Republic is becoming one of the leading countries for medical tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean. He attributed this to the quality of the services, proximity to major markets, and generally good results.
Carrasco says the most performed aesthetic surgeries are body contouring, such as abdominoplasty, liposculpture, fat transfer to buttocks, breast surgeries, reduction, breast lift, or implants.
“We have become true experts in body contouring surgery, and if you add to this the fact that the Dominican Republic has managed to take the lead over other countries in the region during the post-pandemic period, after the opening of the country, this has led to an increase in the number of cases,” he highlighted.
The guild that groups plastic surgeons maintain general safety protocols for its members and recommends against operating on those excessively overweight and those who have aggravated or uncontrolled medical conditions such as bronchial asthma, diabetes, or heart problems.
He says 70% of the patients they see for cosmetic surgery are between the ages of 20 and 35 years. 26% are 36 to 57 years of age.
Source: N Digital
Apr 11, 2022
The ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) used its majority in the Chamber of Deputies to pass a bill submitted by the Presidency that calls for zero taxes on several food staples. The bill had the backing of the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfredo Pacheco (PRM-National District).
The intention is to mitigate inflation and counteract the external supply shocks that are causing significant increases in prices here. The bill eliminates import tariffs on 67 products. It will be in effect for six months as of its passing in the legislature and imports will need to be approved by the National Agriculture Committee (Comisión Nacional Agrícola).
The Association of Milk Producers, the Poultry Association, and others protested the passing of the bill.
The initiative passed with a vote of 102 in favor and 67 against. Those who voted against it insist the bill will affect local producers.
Source: Hoy
Apr 11, 2022
PUERTO PLATA.- The Puerto Plata Cable Car will open to the public next Thursday, March 10, after completing the maintenance and updating process of its operating system. The Teleferico in Puerto Plata completed nine months of inactivity after suffering a mechanical mishap in May 2021 and will restart its operations after the placement of the rescue metal cable that will give the funicular greater safety.
Last Sunday, the general manager of the Puerto Plata Cable Car, Atahualpa Paulino, received from the engineer Gustavo Mejía, representative of the Colombian company Inteckno, the international certification that gives the endorsement to comply with international demands, tour operators, and the general public. Paulino thanked God and the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, for all the official support provided through the Ministers of Tourism; David Collado and Administrative of the Presidency; José Ignacio Paliza, in addition to the great work done by the engineers, administrative staff and all the collaborators of the cable car. There was a meeting held with the media, where the engineers Gustavo Mejía, Freddy Fernández, and Rafael Fernández gave the technical report on the multiple tests carried out satisfactorily after the repair of the Cable Car, which is one of the main tourist attractions of San Felipe de Puerto Plata.
Source: Puerto Plata Digital
Mar 8, 2022
A first humanitarian flight left with 282 Ukrainians that had been stranded in the Dominican Republic. The Ukrainians had flown here to vacation primarily in the Punta Cana area to find themselves without return flights. A first United Airlines flight was arranged to fly the Ukrainians to Amsterdam, Holland.
Llona Oleksandrivna, an honorary consul for Ukraine in the Dominican Republic, estimates that 2,500 Ukrainians are stranded here. Thousands of Russians have also been affected but are gradually finding flights back. Russian flights are direct to Russian cities from Punta Cana.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Mar 8, 2022
Without a doubt, the combination of the conflict in the Ukraine and US retirement from energy self-sufficiency has driven up oil prices around the globe. Gasoline is now over US$6.00 in some places in the United States, and here, in the Dominican Republic, premium gasoline is closing in on the RD$300.00 level (well over US$5.00).
To make matters worse for the government, the policy has been mostly to soften the economic blow by absorbing all or part of the price increases as dictated by the price of the crude of reference, West Texas Intermediate, that is used to calculate the price of gasoline and other fuels in the Dominican Republic. West Texas Intermediate hit above US$110.00 a barrel on the world exchanges late last week. The picture gets much more serious because the 2022 National Budget was calculated with targeted crude oil prices for 2022 at US$68.00 a barrel. The higher price of fuel, though, will indeed render more taxes for the government.
President Luis Abinader has indicated that he will address this issue shortly. The Executive Branch has sent amendments to the local hydrocarbons law to the Senate.
Meanwhile, Dominicans are taking steps to save on fuel.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Victor (Ito) Bisonó speaks of the need for austerity and better planning from the government. The Ministry of Industry & Commerce is the government department that sets fuel prices.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Mar 8, 2022
