Low-cost housing project Palmas de San Pedro inaugurated; year-on-year inflation reached 8.73% in January; Biden warns that the Russian invasion of Ukraine would raise gasoline prices in the US; Ceara Hatton sees the decrease in oil prices as positive; former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández arrested; Quico Tabar takes over as Director of Casinos and Gambling; Abinader changes the name of Comunidad Digna and appoints a new head; historic wage increase in the sugar industry; $350 million in investments are on their way to the country's ports; wetlands are filled with caliche to be sold as lots; road construction appears as paid in the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC), but it has not been built
The "Palmas de San Pedro" low-cost housing project is inaugurated
In a ceremony led by President Luis Abinader, DAF Management and INICIA inaugurated the first phase of the “Palmas de San Pedro” project, managed by DAF Partners SA Trust. This gated community comprises 726 low-cost homes, built under a trust structure governed by Law 189-11 for the Development of the Mortgage Market and Trusts, representing an approximate investment of RD$1,600,000,000.00 (One billion six hundred million Dominican pesos). Located on Avenida Laureano Canto (formerly Carretera Mella), 2 kilometers from the Autovía El Coral highway, the complex features houses and apartments priced from RD$2,500,000 to RD$4,499,000
Year-on-year inflation stood at 8.73% in January
The Central Bank reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.18% in January compared to December 2021, while year-on-year inflation, measured from January 2021 to January 2022, reached 8.73%. The groups contributing most to inflation were housing (3.45%), food and non-alcoholic beverages (1.17%), and transportation (0.88%), which together accounted for 75% of the overall inflation in January 2022.
Biden warns that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would raise gas prices in the US
Joe Biden warned Americans yesterday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would drive up gasoline prices in the United States, while also stating that his administration would work to mitigate the impact of a disruption to the international energy market in the event of conflict. "To be clear, if Russia decides to invade Ukraine, that will have consequences here," the US president declared during a brief address at the White House.
CearaHatton sees the decline in oil prices as a positive development
The Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Miguel Ceara Hatton, described the decrease in oil prices on international markets yesterday, February 15, as positive. Interviewed by the national press prior to the signing of a tripartite agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dominican Municipal League, the economist attributed the 2% price decrease to the withdrawal of Russian troops from the border with Ukraine, bringing the price of a barrel down to $91.
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández arrested
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was arrested yesterday at his home in Tegucigalpa and reportedly taken to give his initial statement before a judge who ordered his arrest. The U.S. requested his extradition on Monday for drug trafficking and other crimes. Hernández (president from 2014 to 2022) was captured under heavy security that surrounded his residence in an upscale area of the Honduran capital since Monday night.
Quico Tabar takes over as Director of Casinos and Gambling
The administrator of the National Lottery, Teófilo José (Quico) Tabar Manzur, was provisionally and honorarily appointed yesterday as the Director of Casinos and Gambling at the Ministry of Finance, in accordance with Resolution 061-2022, which designated him to implement the plan for regularization of lottery outlets. Resolution 061-2022, which establishes the guidelines and requirements for the regularization of this sector, granted a 120-day period to betting establishments currently operating illegally to regularize their permits. During the swearing-in ceremony, Tabar Manzur emphasized his strong commitment to contributing to an effective regularization plan.
Abinader changes the name of Comunidad Digna and appoints a new head
President Luis Abinader changed the name of the Dignified Community entity to "Safe Community Program," and appointed David de Jesús Polanco as its head, replacing Sigmund Freund, who had held the position on an interim basis since September of last year, after the entity's director at the time, Juan Maldonado Castro, was arrested and implicated in Operation Falcon, concerning drug trafficking and money laundering.
Historicrise in sugar industry wages
The Minister of Labor, Luis Miguel De Camps, announced that sugar field workers will receive a 102% wage increase, while factory and administrative staff will see a 97% raise. Through a tripartite agreement, the wages of sugar field workers will increase from RD$198 to RD$400 for an eight-hour workday, while administrative and factory workers will see their salaries rise from RD$7,663 to RD$15,000.
Investments of $350 million are on their way to the country's ports
The Dominican Republic's port sector has $300 to $350 million in investments "underway" or in the pipeline for projects with a duration of between one and one and a half years, reported Jean Luis Rodríguez, director of the Dominican Port Authority (Apordom), yesterday. He stated that of all the projects currently underway at the institution, the longest possible duration—in this case, the Port of Manzanillo—would be two years, according to Apordom's established work schedule.
Wetlands are filled with caliche to be sold as building plots
Community organizations in Los Tres Brazos, Santo Domingo East, are denouncing the destruction of the Ozama River wetlands by truckloads of fill material being dumped to create lots for sale to impoverished families. They are demanding intervention from the city council and the Ministry of the Environment to halt these practices and protect the areas that have not yet been destroyed. They are calling on the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for the Defense of the Environment and Natural Resources to conduct an assessment of the wetland destruction and to enforce Law 64-00 on the Environment, which, in Article 166, establishes actions for the protection and representation of the public interest.
Road construction appears as a payment in the MOPC (Ministry of Public Works and Communications), but it has not been built
The Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) paid P&H Serving almost the entire budget allocated for the reconstruction of the Panzo Coffee Region road. This was reported by Eliferbo Herasme Díaz, director of the Technical Unit for the Execution of Agroforestry Development Projects (UTEPDA), who stated that the payments were made during Gonzalo Castillo's administration.
Sources: Diario Libre, El Día, Listin Diario, Hoy, El Caribe, DGII website
