Hurricane season starts today
Between four and seven storms could reach hurricane strength of major danger to the country
BREAKING NEWS: The Dominican authorities have reassured everyone that they are prepared to receive the 2009 hurricane season which begins today with the forecast that between 12 an
d 14 storms will be named.
In order to show their preparedness, the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) has called a press conference for this afternoon a 5:00 o’clock at the Presidential Palace to present its National Prevention Plan 2009.
« We have two new items, a brochure that will tell the people what to do before, during and after we are hit by a major storm, and a pamphlet that will guide the population with regard to the different alert levels, »
said General Juan Manuel Mendez the director of the COE.
The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) has already announced the acquisition of new technological equipment such as a mareograph that measures the rise and fall of tides, a numerical forecaster, as well as a piece of equipment called a mercast, that functions as a receiver of satellite images from the United States and Europe.
Onamet can also count on a Doppler radar system installed at the Punta Cana International Airport which can follow the development of storms and other atmospheric phenomena as they approach.
The forecasters say that between 4 and 7 of the storms could become important storms.
The hurricane season begins today, Monday 1 June, and ends next 20 November.
Diario Libre, 01.06.09
The Quisqueya Verde Plan widens thanks to the contribution of NGOs
Agreements of forestation
BREAKING NEWS: The Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, Jaime David Fernández Mirabal, affirmed this Monday that agreements of forestation was signed with 25 non governmental organizations to extend the action fields of the Quisqueya Verde National Plan.
With these agreements we achieve two of the mandates which president Leonel Fernández entrusted to us: to increase the forest cover in order to reduce the effects of the climate change and to insert social organizations in order to guarantee a surer mechanism on the level of continuity and aptitude to support sustainable operations
Fernández Mirabal said.
The civil servant made this announcement after having signed agreements of forestation with nine NOGs which will function as local managers, representatives of logistics and supervisors of the brigades of forestation in ten communes of Pedernales, Azua, Barahona, Sánchez Ramírez, Espaillat, La Vega, San José de Ocoa and Monseñor Nouel.
This agreement belongs to the strategy of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources to integrate the public sector and the private and the civil society in the forestation campaign of the country, to thus increase the wooded cover.
Dominican Republic Live, 02.06.09
Ede purchase ’changes roles’
The government should only be a regulator
BREAKING NEWS: The business sector, led by the National Business Council (CONEP) has come out against the government’s decision to purchase energy distributor Ede-Este.
During a press conference, Conep president Lisandro Macarulla argued that the purchase of Ede-Este changes the government’s role.
He said the government should only be a regulator and not an investor in private business. He stated that government should not compete with the private sector, adding that its presence in the sector makes it less attractive for potential foreign investors.
Ede-Este was the last energy distributor to remain in private hands after the other two Edes, Ede-Norte and Ede-Sur were bought back by the state at the end of the Hipolito Mejia administration in 2003.
Macarulla also commented on his concern about the cost that the purchase of Ede-Este would represent to the state. Macarulla explained that RD $300 million was budgeted for the energy sector but this figure is currently at RD $700 million.
DR1,03.06.09
Fernandez: The priority is to re-launch the economy
Meeting with the executives of the media
BREAKING NEWS: President Fernandez reiterated before the local newspaper directors and radio and television commentators that the political will of the state is that the private sector invests in the electricity sector, in order that it serve as the locomotive for development, but if this investment does not take place, the state hast to intervene in order to guarantee the basic service.
The words of President Fernandez came during the course of a luncheon meeting with the executives of the media which was also attended by Cesar Pina Toribio, the Presidential Minister, Radhames Segura, the administrator of the Dominican Corporation of State-owned Electricity Enterprises (CDEEE), the Minister of the Hacienda, Vicente Bengoa; the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Development, Juan Temistocles Montas, the lawyer Mariano German Mejia and other dignitaries.
The President reminded everyone that with the capitalization of the electric companies they achieved investments that improved the capacity to a level above demand, but due to the country’s growth, by the year 2012 an additional 1200 megawatts will be needed.
He detailed the plans the government has to fill the deficit, and cited the construction of three hydroelectric dams that will generate 285 megawatts; two wind farms in Montecristi and Bani of 100 megawatts each, and a Spanish enterprise, during his recent trip, offered to install a wind farm to generate 500 megawatts.
He said that he recently received the visit of emissaries from the prince heir-apparent of Abu Dabi who had projects for the installation of a 600 megawatt generator and Korea also has an interest in investing in this sector.
The reform
In an aside with the journalists, the President pointed out that he would like for the National Revisory Assembly to move faster now that the he has obtained the consensus of the major parties. He indicated that the initial purpose of obtaining a consensus on the constitutional text has been achieved with the signing of the agreements with the PRD and the PRSC.
The priority is the re-launch of the economy
President Leonel Fernandez pointed out during the meeting with the newspaper directors and the radio and television commentators that the priority of the government was to get the economy going again.
Answering questions for the group, he indicated that he did not discard the possibility of signing an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but not right now.
He said he felt that his team was following the evolution of the world financial crisis very closely and that they have noticed a positive turn regarding credit facilities.
He said that in his recent trip to Spain he met with executives of the Deustche Bank that came to the country and were shown projects for more than US $700 million and that recently a delegation from Citigroup showed interest in financing the Coral Highway.
This same delegation told him that in the current circumstances the country would qualify for an international bond emission of US $1.5 billion, at a rate of 10.5% and that Minister Temistocles Montas has been invited by J.P.Morgan to study investment projects.
Diario Libre, 04.06.09
Strategic alliance with Puerto Rico
Leonel Fernández meets Luis Fortuño
BREAKING NEWS: Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico sealed an alliance this Thursday to harness trade, promote economic growth, jobs and development.
President Leonel Fernandez and Puerto Rico governor Luis Fortuño, about the renewal of the Dominican Republic –Puerto Rico Strategic Alliance, pledged to support to the private and p
ublic sectors to take advantage of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Central America.
During the signing of the pact in Aguadilla City Hall, Fernandez and Fortuño said they aim to take advantage of Dominican Republic’s other free trade agreements with other countries and blocs of nations, such as the recent Economic Association with the European Union and the Caribbean Forum
(CARIFORUM).
The only way to surpass the present crisis is by being creative, imaginative and by forging alliances that lead to the design of a development strategy
, Fernandez said during the ceremony.
Fernández and Fortuño agreed to realize meetings with private sector and strengthen the economic exchange, at the same time they will seek for common investment opportunities.
Fortuño said he was planing to visit Dominican Republic during the year with a group of contractors and businessmen interested by buying and selling products and services in Dominican Republic.
Dominican Republic Live, 05.06.09
Haiti and DR unite against flu
Ministers of Health
BREAKING NEWS : The Haitian and Dominican Ministers of Health have agreed to strengthen controls along the border to prevent spreading of the A(H1N1) flu virus across the island.
At a meeting held in the border town of Jimani, Alex Larsen of Haiti and Bautista Rojas Gomez of the DR met for three hours to discuss prevention programs.
According to Diario Libre, Rojas Gomez suggested that Haiti could duplicate some of the measures put in place in the Dominican Republic.
Representatives of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) in the DR, Cristina Nogueira and in Haiti, Yazelhi Genay also took part in the meeting.
Local officials, international consultants and specialists from the Ministries of Public Health in the Dominican Republic and Haiti had also met in Pedernales last week, where they agreed to extend coverage against Hepatitis B for health workers, vaccination against the influenza virus for at-risk groups, as well as diphtheria and tetanus vaccinations for construction workers and farmers.
DR1, 09.06.09
Dominican Government presents its plan for the hurricane season
Meeting of the National Council for the Prevention and Mitigation of Disasters
BREAKING NEWS: The Government presented its Hurricane Season Contingency Plan
2009 aimed at confronting the aftermath of possible storms in the country.
Emergency Operations Center (COE) director Juan Manuel Méndez presented the Plan in a press conference after a meeting of the National Council for the Prevention and Mitigation of Disasters, in the National Palace.
Méndez said the Plan initially includes an information campaign of brochures and radio and television ads, in order to sensitize and orient to the population to be aware of the actions they need to observe based on the alert levels,
and to instruct them on the measures that must be assumed before, during and after the impact of an adverse event.
In the second phase we’ll implement a set of strategic resposnses to attend the different problems that can be presented as a result of a catastrophic event, in the same manner in which we will maintain a permanent coordination with the different actors of the system, in order to sustain the articulated operations executed in the probable zones of impacts,
he said.
Dominican Today, 10.06.09
Fernandez flies to Petrocaribe Summit
He will propose a trade of food and petroleum
BREAKING NEWS : President of Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez flied today at 08.45 am to the island-country St Kitts & Nevis to participate in the 6th Summit of the Member States of Petrocaribe, the agreement via which Venezuela sells petroleum to the region’s nations on soft credit.
The president left from the San Isidro Airbase and will return during the afternoon via the same airport.
In the meeting, the chief executive will propose tourist services and next year’s black bean harvest to pay for Venezuela’s petroleum.
Dominican Republic is one of the countries which most benefits from the agreement, as 40% of the 50,900 barrels (around 20,000 barrels) Venezuela sells daily are at long term credit, with a 2-year grace period; 23 years to pay at 1% annual interest when the price reaches US $50 per barrel, and at 2% if the price falls below that figure.
Dominican Today, 12.06.09
Economic growth in Dominican Republic
Leonel Fernández underlines the contributions of the exporters
BREAKING NEWS: President Leonel Fernández reiterated the commitment he has with the exporting sector, considering the significant contribution of this last to the economic growth of the Dominican Republic.
The agent said that by the penetration of the exporting sector, the government is in charge in a systematic way to apply new programs aiming to stimulate exports and to find new niches of market with the exterior through the Center of Export and Investment of the Dominican Republic, the National Council of Competitiveness and through other institutions.
In the same way, the head of State indicates that considering that the country subscribed to the DR-CAFTA and the Economic Association Agreement; this last concluded between the countries from the CARIFORUM and the European Union, we identified as being an essential need the fact of working with persistence to make favorable the increase in competitiveness in the productive sectors focused towards exports.
After having reiterated his commitments with these productive sectors, Fernández said that he congratulated them and that he recognized the systematic efforts made in order to obtain that the nation increases its sales and obtains greater profits on the international markets.
Dominican Republic Live, 15.06.09
Basic needs take 62.8% of Dominican families’ monthly income
National Statistics Office
BREAKING NEWS: Dominican households spend an average RD $11.0 billion (21.4%) in foods and nonalcoholic beverages monthly, and RD $8.9 billion (17.3%) in transport, for a total of RD $19.9 billion (38%) just in those two areas, according to a nationwide survey of 2007, presented yesterday.
The National Statistics Office (ONE) study also reveals that the cost in lodging, water, electricity, cooking gas or other fuel represents 10%; 8.0% is spent on goods and services and an average 6.1% on health.
The total, together with food and transport, takes 62.8% of the household income every month.
It revealed that the majority of the expense on food is on bread, cereals and meats.
General performance
At the national level, the monthly expense per household reached RD $51.6 billion in 2007 and the income reached RD $53.4 billion, of which RD $23.5 billion is work income per employee and RD $14.9 billion for non-farm independent work.
The 12 month survey conducted in 2007 used a sampling of 9,600 homes at national level, an estimated total of 2,548,928 existing homes until that moment.
When presenting the data, ONE director Pablo Tactuk said the survey is the most complex research ever carried out in the country, since the information was gathered during the twelve months of the year and from the level of detail.
In addition to the statistical importance, the information obtained in the Survey will allow the Central Bank to update its data on the cost of groceries for the family and the Consumer Price Index.
Tactuk said it would also serve to review the home count of the National Accounts System and the population living conditions, including the physical characteristics of households.
Dominican Today, 16.06.09
President Leonel Fernández to receive Refinery share sale report today
The President will meet today with a a comission of lawyers
BREAKING NEWS: A commission of lawyers will submit a report to President Leonel Fernández on the legal procedure that needs to be followed in the case of the sale of 49% of the shares in the Dominican Oil Refinery (Refidomsa) to the Venezuelan State.
The commission is made up of Presidential legal advisor Abel Rodríguez del Orbe, Marino Vinicio Castillo (Vincho) and Mariano Germán, who will inform the President about what they consider relevant in this case.
Announcing the meeting, Minister of Economy Temístocles Montás, said that the search for advice emerged in the wake of all the opinions that have been expressed on whether a tender was required, if it needed to go before Congress, etc.
The official made the announcement when he was asked whether the issue of the sale had been discussed at the Economic Team meeting, and he replied by saying that the Hacienda Minister had made a report on this. He did not give a time for the meeting.
A great deal of conjecture has emerged round the issue, as the government has not provided details of the sale or the sum that Venezuela will be paying.
What is known and was confirmed to this newspaper by Hacienda Minister Vicente Bengoa is that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez will be visiting the country at the end of this month.
Bengoa declined to go into more detail on the grounds that a press conference was planned for this purpose.
Diario Libre, 17.06.09
Chavez will come for the Refidomsa share sale signing
The negotiations involved 130 million dollars
BREAKING NEWS: The Government will sell 49% of shares in the Dominican Oil Refinery (REFIDOMSA) to the Venezuelan state for 130 million dollars, and payments will be made with the corresponding sums for the product purchase invoices that the country has to pay through the Petrocaribe Agreement.The agreement could be signed on the 30
th June, the day that President Chavez is due to visit the DR.
Speaking at a press conference, Hacienda Minister Vicente Bengoa said that as the price of oil per barrel is currently at US $70, Petrocaribe will finance 40% and the Dominican state has to pay 60% of the sums liquidated by Refidomsa, every 30 days.
He said that once the Refinery has paid 60%, instead of handing over the resources in cash to Pedevesa, these will be given directly to the Dominican state, which buys 30,000 barrels a day, and based on projections for the price of a barrel of crude on the international market, the Dominican government will receive the total sum of the transaction in a three-month period.
In three months time we will have the money in cash, as a result of this mechanism, instead of paying 60% in cash to Venezuela, it will be given to the government. This means the government will receive the money in cash
, said Bengoa.
Diario Libre, 18.06.09
Fernandez admits need to revamp Dominican Government
Public administration needs discipline and organization
BREAKING NEWS: President Leonel Fernandez yesterday said the public sector needs to be re-vamped mainly in the development of administrative personnel, so it contributes with what the country requires.
Speaking in an activity called The Ethics Commission’s role in public institutions,
Fernandez said public administration needs discipline and organization, and therefore, needs the creation of a homogeneous system.
He said until that is obtained; the country won’t make the jump that we need.
In that regard, the chief executive suggested that Public Administration minister Ramon Ventura incorporate to the State the private model, sustained in continuous personnel training.
Ethics Commissions
The chief executive, after asking the audience which attended the event if they had reported irregularities and only four people responded, said his impression is that the Ethics Commissions so far have been nonfunctional.
Fernandez, in the event which lasted more than two hours, then asked the crowd to make suggestions and express their inconformity.
There all types of responses, from the commissions which don’t meet, to the employees’ fear of making denunciations and face possible retaliation from superiors.
After this, the chief executive suggested conducting workshops every two months to review results.
Dominican Today, 19.06.09
In 2010, 6 million Dominicans elect around 3,390 officials
Election of 22 members of the Latin American Parliament
BREAKING NEWS: The Central Electoral Board (JCE) is prepared to organize and stage the May 16, 2010, congressional and municipal elections, the most complex balloting process ever, in which the country’s nearly 6 million voters will chose around 3,391 city officials and lawmakers.
Adding to the electoral process’ complexity of choosing senators, deputies, mayors and city council members is the selection of a director and three members of the 229 municipal districts.
Other modalities include the election of 22 members of the Latin American Parliament (Parlacen) and seven deputies representing Dominicans abroad.
On the list of officials who’ll be chosen in the 2010 elections figure: 963 members of city councils and their substitutes;155 mayors and their vice mayors; 229 municipal district directors and three members (New); 178 deputies; 32 senators; 22 deputies of the Latin American Parliament, Parlacen and 7 overseas deputies, (the latter two expected to be approved in the constitutional reform).
Dominican Today, 22.06.09
Highschoolers take National Tests starting today
First convocation
BREAKING NEWS: More than 150,900 fourth-year high school students from public and private schools will participate in the first convocation of the national tests that will be given all over the country.
Of these, 100,162 are regular students, and they represent 69% of the 145,988 that were studying the last year of high school, and who completed the necessary coursework in order to take part in this first convocation of the testing.
The remaining 50,908 test-takers are from other school years and who have yet to earn their diplomas because they have one or more courses pending a passing grade on the national tests. The authorities are hoping that this new opportunity will see most of them earn their right to graduate.
There is a 31%, 45,826 students, that will have to wait for the second convocation because their grades were not up to the level required for taking the tests.
The tests are scheduled to go from 2 o’clock until 5 o’clock in the afternoon at the testing sites, both for regular students as well as students of technical schools. The tests will begin with the test on the Spanish Language.
For the middle-level, as fourth year of high school is now called, the testing varies with the courses to be evaluated, because of the number of students from other years that have these tests pending for graduation.
Regarding the grades of the tests that were given to eighth graders and adult education students last week, the Ministry of Education reported that they will be ready between tomorrow and Thursday.
Diario Libre, 23.06.09
Dominican Republic will supply ethanol for cars in Puerto Rico
Both islands signed an agreement last 4 June that will strengthen commercial ties
BREAKING NEWS: SAN JUAN, P.R.- Supported by the agreement signed at the beginning of the month between Governor Luis Fortuño and Dominican President Leonel Fernandez, the Dominican Republic will supply between 15% and 85% of the ethanol that will be consumed by the 2.5 million motor vehicles that move around Puerto Rico.
The news was revealed by the Secretary of State, Kenneth McClintock, who assured reporters that this production would help Puerto Rico reduce it dependence on non-r
enewable fuels. We want to try and make Puerto Rico energy independent of those few countries that control petroleum and one way to do this is with ethanol and using ethanol produced in the Dominican Republic will create jobs in the Dominican Republic,
he emphasized.
McClintock argued that the plans are for the development of an agricultural production in the Southeast of Borinquen (the indigenous name for Puerto Rico) to produce ethanol, but this will only supply a small proportion of the consumption demands of the island where already all of the cars have the capacity to use a mixture of fuels. Ethanol is a renewable fuel that can be produced from sugarcane and other crops.
The secretary said that if there should be a surplus between what comes from the Dominican Republic and what is produced in Puerto Rico, he would not discard the possibility of creating a platform for distributing the product to other islands in the region.
With this in mind, the Secretary of State pointed out that there exists the possibility to increase the amount exported from Quisqueya (the indigenous term for the island of Hispaniola), as long as such distribution was under contract. This would increase production a large amount, but how much, specifically, I do not know, but I know this would create thousands of jobs in the Dominican Republic and in Puerto Rico,
he said.
Last 4 June, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico signed an agreement to strengthen the commercial ties during a ceremony headed by the Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño and the Dominican President, Leonel Fernandez.
Regarding this aspect McClintock said that this agreement that was signed by the Governor of Puerto Rico and the President of the Dominican Republic is opening our minds to stop seeing that frontier between Puerto Rico, the United States and the Dominican Republic.
Moreover, he said that there exists the possibility to begin several projects of wind generated energy together, which would imply the construction of wind towers in the Dominican Republic and the generators in Puerto Rico, or visa-versa.
At the same time, the Sub-Director of Tourism, Mario Gonzalez reported that the Dominican Republic is the principle tourism partner in the Caribbean.
We want to tighten out commercial relationships regarding tourism through strategic alliances, through the development of a double destination between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico,
indicated the Puerto Rican official.
Diario Libre, 24.06.09
Tourism Ministry will open a new tourism board
In Prague, capital of Czech Republic
BREAKING NEWS : The Tourism Ministry (Sectur), announced the opening of a new tourism board (OPT) in Prague.
The opening of this new tourism board is part of the strategies for 2009 of the Minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier García, in order to boost the image of Dominican Republic and to present the country as a tourist destination in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, mainly in Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovenia.
The region of East of Europe is a strategic market for tourism promotion of Dominican Republic, this is why the Sectur is actually making efforts there.
The new tourism board of Prague that will open on Monday June 29th, was created in order to dedicate entirely to the emerging markets, offering services of tourist analyse and councelling.
It will be directed by Berquis Boasier-Budecker, a professional with experience in tourism, who was part since 1999 of the Tourism Board of Germany.
It’s located in the center of the capital, in the street Stepanska 14, near of the Spanish and French Embassies.
Dominican Republic Live, 25.05.09
Juan Bosch Legacy of humanity
President Fernández heads international encounter
BREAKING NEWS : President Fernández headed yesterday the opening ceremony of the international encounter Juan Bosch Legacy of humanity
, during which he said the rea
ction of Bosch in order to face the Trujillo tyranny, was probably the reason he became a leader of Dominican citizens.
He considered that without Trujillo, Bosch maybe wouldn’t have became a politician, since the writer reacted to the hard reality that affected the Dominican Republic at this time.
Fernández made these declarations during the conference Juan Bosch: Paradigm of Dominican Nation
, at the same time he evoked the politic and literary life of Dominican leader.
The international encounter Legacy of a man of humanity
is presented in the Foreign Relations Ministry until Saturday, to mark 1ooth anniversary of Bosch’s birth until June 27th.
The Dominican president also considered that he incarnates Boschism, and added that his role was to be the legatee of the famous writer ideas, a true connection with past that guides future for the construction of democracy, freedom and progress in Dominican Republic.
International representatives, Bosch’s relatives and other personalities participate in the event.
Panelists and intellectuals from Cuba, Brazil, Peru, Nicaragua and Haiti among others spoke in the conference titled Juan Bosh paradigm of the Dominican nation
.
Dominican Republic Live, 26.05.09
Experience sharing regarding tourist safety
Signature of an agreement
BREAKING NEWS: The Direction of the Police of Tourism (Politur) and the embassy of Qatar in Dominican Republic are developing the details for the signature of an agreement which will allow the two nations to exchange experiences as regards tourist safety.
In this way, the director of Politur, brigadier general Henry Gómez Bueno, met the ambassador of Qatar in the country, Mubarak lbrahim M Al Sabed, to examine the project for then signing a cooperation agreement.
Gómez Bueno explained that he recently travelled to Qatar and met with the Minister of Security and the chief of the Police force of this nation, who are interested in the model of Preventive Tourist Safety which is carried out in the country.
He specified that the interest of these civil servants occurred following the reports explaining that the Dominican Republic receives every year approximately four million tourists and that lately, the rate of delinquency and of criminality in the tourist poles is of zero.
Ambassador Mubarak lbrahim M Al Sabed supported that its country is visited by a great quantity of cruising tourists, situation which obliges them to improve their security systems.
As well the director of Politur as the ambassador of Qatar ensured that the signature of this agreement and to share expericences will contribute significantly to the increase in the bilateral relations between the two countries.
It is waited that the Minister of Security and the chief of the Police force of Qatar visit Dominican Republic at the end of this year to subscribe this agreement.
Dominican Republic Live, 29.05.09
Dominican territory becomes huge, on paper
Effort is needed to protect the real area
BREAKING NEWS: The country’s 50,900 square kilometers have already ballooned to 72,000 since the division of Hispaniola Island in 1777, according to the deeds of property.
At least on paper, the Dominican territory grew around 24,000 square kilometers, thanks to the lack of defining lines, duplicated documents and the little collaboration between governme
nt agencies, said National Cadastre director Bolivar Marte, who complained of the illegal duplicity of functions.Dominican Republic has 72,000 square kilometers in titles and that’s because here, when urbanizations are done, the city councils or any company which carries out a project doesn’t delineate the land as required.
He said when a zone is urbanized and streets, sidewalks and green areas are made, these spaces must be removed from the lot’s original title, but when the delineation isn’t done, the real property continues, on paper, having more land than in fact it really owns.
Marte blames that on some Government agencies whom he said maintain a double functionality, because they all want to do their particular survey
and cites, mainly, the Public Works Ministry, the National Hydraulic Resources Institute (Indrhi), and the Internal Taxes Agency, which he said waste resources and money, doing a function which the law bestows on the Cadastre Agency.
That’s the reason for our disorder, because if an avenue is traced across a farm which has 20 tareas, that property is reduced 15 or 10 tareas, and the organization which built it is obliged to submit a document to us indicating the work realized with the amount expropriated.
He said that’s the reason that many people with title for 20 tareas only have 10, and that’s the reason there’s more land on titles that what we have as a country
.
Marte added that the effort is needed so the real area protected by the Environment Ministry could be known, but no, because each institution has their land behind barricades.
Dominican Today, 30.06.09
