Expectations for speech high

[NewsWhore]

Expectations are high for President Leonel Fernandez's speech tonight (Thursday, 17 July) at 9pm. Hacienda Minister Vicente Bengoa said that Fernandez would focus on planned economic and social measures including energy and fuel saving initiatives, a minimum wage increase and food issues. Bengoa says that the complementary budget to implement the new plan, funded from 2008 budgetary surplus, will total RD$30 billion and would be submitted to Congress next week. The interest in Fernandez's speech is partly due to the fact that last week's press conference was met with widespread disappointment. Fernandez spent most of his time speaking about the international pressures that are directly and indirectly affecting the DR, and barely touched on domestic issues in relation to the economic and energy crisis. Father Luis Rosario, quoted in Hoy, said "what the President is going to say, he should say in few words, they should be concrete and should be palpable." The expectation is that Fernandez will once again present the nation with energy saving measures and a plan for responding to the increase in world food prices. Most will remember that last November Fernandez, in response to growing concerns from various sectors, announced a new energy saving plan, but unfortunately few of those measures were implemented.

More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)