OCTOBER 2008

The sugar export started

Towards the European Union markets

The Dominican Republic began the sugar export on the European market with a first cargo of 12 thousand 48 tons towards France, which at short, medium and long term will have an impact on the sugar industry and on the economy of the country.

The director of the Dominican Sugar Institute (Inazúcar), Faustino Jiménez, explained that in November, a sending of 20 thousand 373 tons is planned for the same country from the port of La Romana, to supplement the 32 thousand 421 tons of gross amount, equivalent to 30 thousand tons of fine sugar.

The cargoes were produced in Cristóbal Colón, Barahona and in Central Romana.

The civil servant informed that the joint value of the two exports reaches the 13 million 500 thousand euros, (approximately 19 million 300 thousand dollars) and quoted that for the next year, the conditions would be favorable to double even to triple the export volume since the country is released from the restrictions or the tariff barriers towards the market composed by countries belonging to the European Union.

Al Momento, 02.10.08

Los Toros think of celebrating their silver wedding with a crown

Winter Season of Baseball

LA ROMANA. - At the time of the celebration of their silver wedding with Dominican baseball, the Azucareros del Este (East sugar manufacturers) introduced a new image and color, but more than all, want to celebrate them with the obtaining of a crown, not won since the 1994-95 season.

Los Toros, which from now on will wear the orange color, arrived yesterday with optimism to a final series of Dominican baseball, step where they arrived only on three occasions during their history.

An energetic atmosphere, new proclamations and the hope to play beyond the round robin punctuated the traditional meeting of yesterday which took place at Casa de Campo, where the direction announced in an official way the imported players, presented most of its roster, the manager Dean Treanor and those which will accompany them in the tasks of trainers.

Listín Diario, 09.10.08

22 craftsmen receive their diploma

Craft industry, administration and accounting courses

The Communities of the Island of Saona, Bayahíbe and Benerito graduated 22 craftsmen within the framework of a qualification program carried out by the Tourism Ministry (SECTUR) and the Association of the Storekeepers, the Company managers and the Professionals of Tourism of Bayahíbe and Dominicus (ACEPROBADO).

The certification was coordinated by the Association of the La Romana Bayahíbe Hotels (AHRB) and took place at the time of the third craft industry fair organized by AHRB.

Since year 2003, AHRB is supporting craftsmen of the Communities of Bayahíbe, Padre Nuestro and of Benerito with the aim to integrate people of scanty resources into the tourist activity thus allowing them to improve their quality of life at the same time that they contribute to bring new offers on the market of the tourist destinations.

The project also has the support of institutions like the Program of Competitiveness and Policies of the United States Agency for International Development (PCP-USAID), the National Training Institute of Professional Technicians (INFOTEP), the Inter-American Bank of Development (BID), and the Dominicn Institute of Integral Development (IDDI).

The program stimulates the local arts and crafts through artisan, artistic and cultural fairs which contribute to preserve and to promote the culture of Bayahíbe and the neighboring Communities while improving the communication and integration with the private sector.

ACEPROBADO conceived and lavished painting courses in order to promote Dominican typical painting.

In addition to the training in craft industry, the participants received a qualification in administration of micro company and of community accounting.

The developed products include jewelry, objects of decoration for the house and office supplies.

Diario Digital, 14.10.08

Mourning visits the MIR foundation

A nice surprise for the pupils

La Romana.- The surprise couldn’t be greater. The lessons of the Vocational School MIR for the masculine children and teenagers were interrupted by a Basketball star: Alonzo Mourning and his 6 feet and 10 inches.

He almost couldn’t pass through the doors of the rooms were thousands of young pupils take lessons, and who, when they saw him, were very happy.

Mourning who plays since 15 seasons in the NBA, since his beginnings in 1992 with the Hornets, and who is now National Champion since his victory with the Heats in 2006, was very grateful of the admiration his presence produced.

Play basketball, is the thing I do better. But for this, you have to practice very much and need to have discipline. It’s a profession like another, where it’s important to take care of your image, your body, and that’s why you have to keep far away from vices said Mourning.

During a course in the MIR Esperanza stadium installations, Alonzo Mourning visited the basketball field to see the children and teenager throw the ball to the net.

Diario Libre, 16.10.08

Demolishing hotels in Saona

Environment Law 64-00

The Ministry of Environment has ordered all block or concrete constructions recently built on Saona Island in the National Park of the East to be demolished, as reported in Clave newspaper .

Saona, a 112 km2 island, receives 400,000 visitors a year and has a population of just 180 inhabitants. Only wooden structures are permitted. All concrete constructions on the island are banned by Environment Law 64-00. Residents of the island told Clave they knew the constructions were in violation of the law.

Deputy Minister for Protected Areas Eleuterio Martinez says that Environment Minister Jaime David Fernandez has sufficient political will to apply the Environment Law.

He stressed that national park management in the DR is subject to internationally agreed standards. We have to comply with these whether we like it or not. It is the same for the DR, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba or the US and Europe, he said.

He expressed disappointment at the situation where Navy and Ministry of Environment employees appeared to be little more than ornamental figures on the island, failing to enforce the law. These have now been dismissed.

Clave also reports that the administrator of the National Park of the East, Israel Cruz Martinez was fired when he protested against the demolition of the concrete structures on the island. Army Lt Andy Ubiera was appointed as his replacement.

Upon being notified of the construction projects, the Ministry of Environment ordered their demolition.

One 600m2 construction prepared for 16 hotel rooms was demolished by a team sent from Santo Domingo.

The Ministry of Environment told Clave that while the hotel was going up on land owned by Major de la Cruz, the latter did not have the money to build the hotel. We were told that Franklin Martinez, who owns hotels in Bayahibe, and the Italian ambassador are the investors in the construction site reports Clave.

The Commune of Savona in Italy and the Ministry of Tourism recently announced advances in the construction of facilities donated to the community.

As reported in Clave, the two 16-room hotels that were under construction on the island had Ministry of Tourism approval.

The relationship between Savona and Saona dates back to Christopher Columbus’s second voyage to Hispaniola in 1494. Michele da Cuneo of Savona, who was on that trip with Columbus, named the island in honor of his hometown.

Cuneo became the first governor of the island, which was an important cassava production point. Cassava was the indigenous bread that the Spaniards valued because it did not spoil easily.

DR1, 18.10.08

Japan will collaborate on the Dominican tourist development

Conservation of the natural resources

The secretary of Tourism Francisco Javier García, received the principal directors of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to whom he reiterated his interest to look further into the joint initiatives of co-operation which involve the two organizations.

Francisco Javier García evaluated the great importance of the Sustainable Tourism Program (STP) which in various zones of the country is managed by the JICA with the official vision to diversify the tourist offer in harmony with the environmental standards.

He announced the opening of a joint office of Sectur and of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural resources (Semarena), in which one will evaluate what is relating to the conservation of the natural resources and the achievement of the environmental impact studies mandatory for the new tourist projects.

García explained that they will quickly start to implement the Tourism for Everybody program in order to promote eco tourist attractions of the Dominican Republic, among them the Saona Island and the national parks.

The civil servant indicated that Sectur will support the promotion of the eco tourism as well as among the foreigners who visit the RD as on the internal market.

The visit of courtesy to Sectur was performed by Kiyoshi Yoshimoto, director of the JICA; Huáscar Peña, official of the Sustainable Tourism program of the JICA; Takashi Aoki, assessor of the program ; Takeshi Omura, member of the team of the study of the National Strategic Planning of Eco Tourism Development (EPENDE) and by the Dominican technical under-secretary, Radhamés Martínez.

Al Momento, 27.10.08