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View Full Version : Salcedo says Guibia beach ready soon



NewsWhore
02-11-2011, 04:00 PM
City Mayor Roberto Salcedo has announced the restart of works on the Guibia Beach project on the Malecon of Santo Domingo, saying it would be completed within 90 days. The project involves beach volleyball courts, sidewalk expansion from 4 to 10 meters, lighting, beach conditioning including access steps and washrooms.

He made the announcement in response to the Santo Domingo Hotels Association and the National Hotel & Tourism Association (Asonahores) criticism of delays in completion of the Montesinos Monument, Eugenio Maria de Hostos Park and Guibia Beach areas on the Malecon.

In the past, Salcedo has dismissed hotel sector complaints by saying they do not pay municipal taxes. The hoteliers complained that despite the high income the city government receives, the central government has taken on the construction of works.

National Hotel & Restaurants Association (Asonahores) president Julio Llibre made the point: "The streets are not being paved by the city government, but by the Ministry of Public Works, and the lighting on the Malecon is funded by the Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE)," said Llibre. He asked the city government to explain what it does with the resources it receives from the city and the subsidy it receives from the government.

The hoteliers and real estate associations are opposed to the recent announcement of new taxation made by the city government that they say violates the Constitution and duplicates taxes that are already in effect. The Constitution states that only Congress can create taxation.

The hoteliers visited the Tourism Commission in Congress, which is chaired by deputy David Collado (PRD-National District) to ask the Chamber of Deputies to question Salcedo about creating municipal taxes in violation of the Constitution and Law 176-07 on the National District and municipalities. The hoteliers say that Salcedo violated Art 83 of the Constitution by issuing ordinances 3-10, 4-10 of 23 December 2010 that order property owners to pay RD$2,000 a year in additional taxes for every RD$1 million worth of property. The city government would set the property value.

The hoteliers have led the discussions against the new taxes. They said that the measure would have a negative effect on tourism and the real estate sector and penalizes property owners with new taxes.

El Caribe reports that the works along the Malecon have been stopped and only Plaza Juan Baron has been completed, but with private investment.

El Caribe reports that in 2002, Mayor Roberto Salcedo announced a major restoration project for the Malecon, but nothing has happened.

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