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Francisco Leonardo of the Jesuit Refugee Service claims that the networks that smuggle Haitians, including children, into the DR to beg on the streets, do so in complicity with the authorities. As reported in El Caribe, he said that the owners of the business demand 200, 300, or 500 pesos a day from the children who are posted on busy street corners. Leonardo said that the massive presence of the children on city streets is caused by “interests of groups within and outside the government, associated with mafias that are the ones that direct the Haitian migration to Dominican territory.”

He said that some children are there at their own will, but in general there are networks that distribute the children to city corners and it is a lucrative business. He said the problem would be solved if the authorities applied serious migratory policies.

“There are many checkpoints [...]

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Frequent travelers need to keep their guard up, as credit card and debit card scams are on the rise. A recent story on credit card scams abroad says that in the DR crooks have been known to use photographic film or paper to jam ATMs and when the customer thinks his card is irretrievably lost and leaves, the thieves come back and steal the card.

Card companies advise travelers to use their ATMs during the day, inside banks, hotels, shopping malls and other big commercial facilities, and always scan the area for suspicious-looking people. They urge consumers to treat their ATM card as cash. They also recommend informing your bank when you will be traveling.

www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/atm-dangers-abroad-international-tips-1282.php

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Nearly 10% of traffic accident deaths could be avoided if the injured were helped in time and taken to hospitals with adequate care, as reported in Listin Diario. Many deaths are attributed to crass indifference, and fear of getting involved with the authorities, or being accused of the accident. Possible rescuers fear that it is a trick and they could be victims of a subsequent assault. Others do not want to get involved because after getting the victim to the hospital, they need to spend lengthy time responding to the police investigation. A third reason is that private clinics refuse to accept accident victims if no-one is available to cover their medical expenses. And there is the ever-present fear that upon recovery, the accident victim will accuse the Good Samaritan of having caused the accident. Doctors consulted by Listin Diario reporters said that the best thing to do was [...]

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The price of bread in many bakeries is up, reflecting the increase in the cost of flour. Bakeries are meeting to decide whether the increase in bread will be across the board. It was reported yesterday that bakeries in the city of Santiago were independently increasing the price of the traditional “pan sobao” and “pan de agua” from RD$6 to RD$7. Breads that were selling for RD$3 are now going for RD$5. Last week, a 120 pound bag of flour increased in price from RD$1,100 to RD$1,340. This price increase comes as a result of strong increases in the price of wheat on the international markets over the past few weeks following the drought in Russia. The presidents of the National Union of Medium and Small Bakers, Francisco Capellan and of the Association of Flour Industries of Santiago, Ramon Silverio said that they would be meeting with their members today [...]

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The new Chief of the National Police, Major General Jose Armando Polanco Gomez, told reporters yesterday that he has instructed regional directors and area commanders to tell police agents to cease the practice of stopping citizens in dark areas. He says this leads to confusion. He told Hoy that agents would from now on be posted in well-lit areas in order to avoid unfortunate situations.

This statement contrasts with that of official National Police spokesman General Nelson Rosario, who had advised people to “stop or face the consequences” during the past term of Major General Rafael Guillermo Guzman Fermin.

Major General Polanco Gomez promised that his tenure as Police Chief would be transparent and that any of his agents who used excessive force would be discharged and would face criminal charges in court.

He said that the country was at a point in its history where “the [...]

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The Fernandez administration has started collecting the 16% VAT tax (the tax on the transfer of manufactured goods and services or ITBIS) on raw materials imported by manufacturers. The Pro-Industry Law had established this tax would be collected on sales goods not at the port of entry of the inputs.

The government says the move will allow them to collect between RD$1.8 billion and RD$2.0 billion from now until the end of the year. The measure, which was communicated to the Customs collectors last weekend, has been rejected by manufacturers, who say it violates Art. 20 of Law 392-07.

In a paid advertisement today, 21 industrial associations protested Customs applying the tax. Former President Hipolito Mejia sided with the manufacturers and asked the administration to correct the move.

In a press release, manufacturers say the measure will de-capitalize many businesses that will have to find money they [...]

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During a meeting last night at the Presidential Palace, President Leonel Fernandez warned public transport business union leaders that the government was not able to concede or satisfy requests for funding to the sector. Nonetheless, the President said he would consider mechanisms for renewing vehicle fleets through financing, Ignacio Ditren, director of the Metropolitan Bus Service Office (OMSA) told reporters after the meeting.

“The President spoke clearly. He said that the government was in a difficult situation with the deficit it has and that he could neither concede nor give anything, not even a ‘Bono-Diesel’ or anything else”, said Ditren.

According to a report from the OMSA director and the president of the leading transport group, the National Transport Confederation (Conatra), Antonio Marte, the parties agreed that a commission would coordinate the evaluation of all options for renewing passenger vehicles with the Minister of Hacienda.

In the [...]

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The government has applied two pro-rata-ed quotas of the indexation of inflation on the gasoline taxes. These corrections were for 3.21% and 3.20%. Prices did not climb because the increases in the tax component of gasoline prices were absorbed by the reduction in the price of fuel due to lower oil prices. Only the price of LPG was increased. Other fuel prices dropped. The indexation, or adjustment for inflation on fuels as per Law 112-00 on Hydrocarbons increased taxes by RD$1.52 on premium and by RD$1.34 for regular. Diesel fuel taxes were increased by RD$0.74, or 4.21% for the regular blend.

The Hotel and Restaurant Association (Asonahores) said that the fuel that is undergoing the greatest increase in price is Avtur (Aviation/turbine), where the tax increases went from RD$4.26 to RD$5.16, leading to a 21.12% increase in price.

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President Leonel Fernandez inaugurated a new industrial park in southwestern San Cristobal yesterday. The PYMI Industrial Park San Cristobal (PISAN) and the three technological centers and childcare centers also included in the complex were built on the site of the old Glass Factory (Favidrio) at a cost of RD$132 million. The complex, which could create 3,850 new jobs, was a joint project between the Patrimonial Fund of the Reformed Businesses (Fomper) and the Center for Development and Competitiveness (Pro-Industria). The industrial park is designed with small and medium business in mind and includes training centers. There is a childcare facility on the premises for parents undergoing training. The second stage of the project is expected to attract 120 small to medium businesses and provide jobs for an additional 5,850 people.

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The death toll from the devastating mudslides in China’s Yunnan province now stands at 38, with 54 people still missing, the state-run Xinhua news agency said, citing a local police chief.

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