DR News
The Ministry of Sports announced it has invited 325 athletes from abroad to participate in the December 2018 National Sports Games. The Hermanas Mirabal 2018 Games will take place 6 to 16 December 2018. The expat athletes will be coming from Florida and several states in New England region in the USA, Europe, and Puerto Rico. The largest delegation will be from the New England region, or 155 athletes. Another 3,700 athletes from five regions of the Dominican Republic will also compete in the 36 sports.
The organizing committee of the games said that 78 athletes that participated in the recent Central American & Caribbean Games Barranquilla 2018 will be participating. These include 46 that won medals in those regional games, including Crismery Santana who won two golds.
Source: DR1, Listindiario
Nov 18, 2018
The French Development Agency (AFD) announced it has approved US$100 million in financing for the expansion of the No. 1 line of the Santo Domingo Metro. The funds will be available in December 2018. The expansion is to meet demand by thousands of users.
The announcement was made by Sandra Kassab, senior charge d’affairs at the AFD when participating in the photography exhibition opening in Santo Domingo: “Rostros que se mueven con el Desarrollo” at the Juan Pablo Duarte Metro station on Máximo Gómez and John F. Kennedy avenues intersections. Kassab said the exhibition evidences the great impact the metro and skylift have had on the population of Greater Santo Domingo. Both were built with French technology.
Kassab said the agency has contributed financing for US$450 million for the Metro. Overall, over the past 20 years, AFD has provided US$625 million for city, sustainable transport, natural resources conservation, sanitation, water works, education and health projects. The AFD is also backing the Nueva Barquita urban renewal housing project.
Manuel Antonio Saleta García, director of the Metro Office (OPRET) said that on Monday, 12 November, two more cars would be in service. He said the OPRET has already contracted for five cars that would arrive next year.
Source: DR1, Hoy
Nov 18, 2018
The municipality of Sosúa has ordered the construction of traffic lights at the crossroads opposite supermarket Super Pola. For years people living close and visitors of Super Pola have been complaining about this dangerous intersection. Almost every day small to large traffic accidents happen, and people get hurt. Especially around noon, it is dangerous to cross the intersection. Fortunately, the city council now listened to all these complaints and decided to set up traffic lights. In the coming week, the system will be in operation.
Source: Sosua News
Nov 10, 2018
Four water sports and only one can be crowned the Champion! The Master of the Ocean is in full force for 2019. This unique extreme watersports event showcase the most talented International group of world-class athletes, competing in surfing,
windsurfing, kiteboarding and standup paddle boarding (SUP). It is the world’s only competition which incorporates these four surf-related disciplines in search of the most complete water sports athlete, who is ultimately crowned the Master of the Ocean. There is also a Team category, consisting of 4 athletes, dedicated to
each sport, and a day dedicated to expression sessions|new talent.
Held annually since 2003 in Cabarete and Playa Encuentro on the North Shore of Dominican, it features trade winds and warm tropical waters all year-round. These
ideal conditions render it an excellent platform for extreme water sports. At night,
this charming Caribbean town offers a vibrant nightlife with fine dining and world class entertainment.
Master of the Ocean is proudly supported by the Dominican Republic Tourism Board, so save the date and tons of adrenaline for the next MOTO experience!
Source: thekiteboarder.com
Dec 13, 2018
Remittances sent by expats to their relatives in the Dominican Republic are up 10.2% in the first nine months of the year. The Central Bank reports these have increased from US$4,415.3 million from January to September 2017 to US$4,866.4 million for the same period in 2018, according to a story in Diario Libre. If the present flow of remittances continues, 2018 would end with an eight-year record. In 2017 total remittances were US$4,911.8 million, according to the Central Bank.
The Central Bank says that remittances make up 22% of all the hard currency that has entered the economy. Most of the remittances, or 77.34%, have come from the United States. Next were remittances from Spain (10.58%), Haiti (1.41%) and Italy (1.30%). There are also large Dominican populations that send remittances and are located in Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Panama, Germany, France and Canada.
The average remittance is US$221.14. But those living in Switzerland, nevertheless, on average send remittances of US$351.3. Those living in Spain and France also send above average remittances of US$343.7 and US$323.8, respectively.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Nov 10, 2018
The president of the Union de Farmacias, Raul Hernandez, that represents working pharmacies, complained that the medical health providers (ARS) deduct 10% of sales of pharmaceuticals sold to ARS affiliates.
“And this happens under the indifferent and sometimes even complacent gaze of the agencies that must regulate their macabre actions,” he criticized. Hernandez criticized the complacency of the Superintendency of Health and Occupational Risks (SISALRIL).
He said as a result, owners of pharmacies now are only making gross profits of 13% because of the 23% earnings, they have to pay 10% to the medical health providers.
Hernandez says this 10% is not contemplated in Social Security Law 87-01.
ARS affiliates are authorized to consume up to RD$8,000 a year in pharmaceuticals prescribed by authorized physicians. In the case the fund is not used, the ARS gets to keep the difference, adding to the high profitability of the ARS companies.
“All because the business of these men should be more profitable so they can construct more buildings, buy boats, summer homes, take trips abroad to benefit them and their families. The indulgences of these businessmen in their pleasures are being paid for by patients and health providers in the Social Security system,” said Hernández.
The president of the Union of Pharmacies spoke during the celebration of the XIII Mortero de Oro awards, on the occasion of the Day of the Owner of Pharmacist.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Nov 10, 2018
Stand-up comedy in the Dominican Republic is alive and well. A report in Listin Diario says that while Carlos Sanchez around 15 years ago pioneered stand-up comedy here, today he has inspired many new emerging comedians. These comedians are taking advantage of social media to spread their laughs. And they have their own Comedy Club, a National District location where patrons can be ensured of an evening of laughs. The comedians each have their unique style. Many use irony, tell of day-to-day occurrences, use black humor, make fun of government, society, culture, values, customs and even of themselves.
Listin Diario mentions emerging comedians José Delgado (Yodel), Starlin Ramírez, Miguel de la Cruz, David (Melaza) and Elías Serrulle as part of the new generation of comedians that perform live for audience.
Comedy Club is located on the first floor of Plaza Bolera on Av. Abraham Lincoln.
Source: DR1, Listindiario
Nov 10, 2018
Dominicans have traded the inconveniences of mass transport for the inconveniences of private cars that are adding to the problem of traffic congestion. Diario Libre reports that vehicle sales in the country have topped RD$534.5 billion since 2015. The DGII reports vehicle sales of RD$152.9 billion in 2017 alone. Over the years, the government-owned Banco de Reservas has spearheaded a festival of low interest car loans that have motivated many Dominicans to buy a car, or two and three in the hope of getting around. Other banks have followed. Today it is easy to get a car loan, not so a loan for manufacturing or other productive activities.
Diario Libre reports that the number of vehicles in circulation has increased from 3,612,964 units in 2015 to 4,097,338 to August 2018, according to data from the Tax Agency (DGII). Vehicle sales in 2015 were RD$130.4 billion. These increased to RD$147.5 billion in 2016 and RD$152.9 billion in 2017. As of August 2018, vehicle sales had reached RD$103.7 billion, foreboding another record year in vehicle sales.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Nov 10, 2018
When: Friday, November 16th at 7PM
Where: Lax Ojo, Cabarete
The Second Collegiate Tribunal of San Francisco de Macorís sentenced 21-year old Marlon Martínez to 30 years in jail and his mother Marlin to five years in jail for the death of 16-year old Emely Peguero in August 2017. Judges Maria de los Ángeles Concepción, Víctor Inoa and Carminia Caminero ruled that Marlon was guilty of voluntary homicide, act of barbarism and child abduction. He was ordered to serve his sentence at the Fortaleza Juana Núñez in Salcedo. Peguero was pregnant of the child of Marlon Martínez.
The judges ruled that his mother, Marlin Martínez was guilty of child abduction and of hiding the corpse. The judges said the prosecution did not present evidence of the complicity of Marlin in the murder only of her actions after the event.
The Marlon and Marlin Martinez were ordered to pay the family compensation for RD$10 million each.
The judges argued the prosecutors did not demonstrate that Marlin had acted in complicity prior to the murder, only that she had acted after her son informed her of the murder. Marlin Martinez’s defense highlighted that she was in Santo Domingo on the day of the murder. At the time of the murder, Marlin Martinez was deputy head of the Dominican Passport Agency.
After the ruling was known, there were protests in San Francisco de Macorís. Many rejected the light sentence Marlin Martínez had received.
The case now moves to the Court of Appeals of San Francisco. Attorney General Jean Alain Rodriguez says the Marlin Martinez sentence will be appealed. “We will not appeal on a whim, we will not appeal for sport, we will appeal because we have the right to appeal and because we feel outraged as well as the population that the judges granted the category of concealment of the corpse and not complicity,” he said commenting on the ruling.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Nov 10, 2018
