Puerto Penasco, Sonora, August 2, 2010 .- Tourism Boost to health and explore new possibilities in this region, were among the topics addressed by the Governor Guillermo Padrés with business tourism to spearhead the inauguration of the new Officers of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Puerto Peñasco.

Tourism is a key activity for the State and given all the support from the state administration, said the state governor to reiterate that there is a commitment and vision to work and make the investments necessary to revive the economy of that destination tourism.

“For the construction of the new sound tourism is a very important part of our growth plans, it is clear the potential we have, it is clear how much has been invested over the years,” he said.

During his involvement with businessmen in the area, Father Elias spoke of the importance of resuming the step to make Puerto Peñasco on one of the best tourist spots, supporting private enterprise with joint investments.

“I have that commitment and I have that very clear vision of working with you and make investments that will help unlock the levels we want the economy of Puerto Peñasco” he said.

Sonora’s chief executive admitted that there are areas of opportunity in which they can improve, such as road and urban infrastructure, and it is precisely in those locations where investments will be launched later this year.

He also called for potential tourists forward the information that Sonora is actually the safest border state, and even has lower crime incidence in the neighboring state of Arizona in the United States.

He pointed that during 2009 in Arizona there were about 35 000 vehicle thefts, while in Sonora were 4000, in regard to the city of Phoenix abductions registered over 400 cases against five of Hermosillo.

However, he does not mean you are happy with the results, on the contrary, works every day to reduce those numbers, because security is a priority for the Government.

“We are working tirelessly to have the necessary tool for being able to ensure the state border are more secure, but by far,” he said.

Father Elias did not miss the opportunity to announce the investment business for more than 100 million pesos in various development works.

Among them will be invested 20 million dollars on a public beach and 35 million pesos for paving the boulevards Godoy and Las Conchas.

And the request of many investors to connect the coastal road to the hotel zone with an investment of 10 million pesos.

Following their participation, the Governor was sworn Market Hector Vasquez as the new chairman of the board of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Puerto Peñasco.

Along with the protest took the secretaries of the board Celia Navarro Botello, Jorge Carrillo and members Riva Erika Curiel, Oscar Palacios, Ruben Gonzalez, Jacobo Muñoz, Betty Meyer, Blanca Ortiz and Miguel Guevara.

The event was attended by Alejandro Zepeda Munro, Mayor of Puerto Peñasco, Javier Tapia Camou, General Coordinator of the Commission for the Promotion of Tourism, Oscar Ochoa Patron, Secretary of Education and Hector Vasquez del Mercado, the tourism industry.

As the deputies Leslie Pantoja Hernandez and Gerardo Figueroa Zazueta, and Rep. Guillen Leonardo Arturo Medina.

Well-advanced talks are in progress striving to reach the objective of expanding the city’s domain and in this way satisfy the present needs for housing lots in the city, announced Noé Bañaga Farías, city trustee.

The municipal trustee disclosed that the area presently under discussion covered about 20 hectares situated in the northern part of the San Rafael ejido (communal land).

Simultaneously, he stated, they were also dealing with the San Rafael ejido itself in order to extend the city’s official area. The purpose was to pay enough attention to the urgent need for land within the city.

Bañaga Farías admitted that the shortage of aerial space was a problem that Puerto Peñasco had been facing lately, which now had turned into a priority that had to be overcome in the nearest future possible.

The city trustee emphasized that luckily there was excellent relationship with the coordinator of the communal lands around the city center, and they believed their efforts would show positive results through agreements that were in the process of being reached.

He declared that until agreements were signed to increase the aerial space of the City, the duty of his office was centralized on personally and directly tackling the demands of local citizens.

The city trustee disclosed that they were presently explaining the case to the Peñasco community and why it was not 100% possible to satisfy the existing need for plots.

At the same time, he said, they were working to regulate property taxes according to agreements with the San Rafael ejido and requesting people to pay overdue amounts on their lands.

In a ceremony taking place at the facilities of the Fire Department, Mayor Alejandro Zepeda Munro, joined by the Director of the Municipal Board for Consensus of Public Works, Manuel Ayala Barrón, and the Director of the Municipal Civil Protection Unit, Rubén Salido, as well as other city dignitaries and representatives, officially handed over to the department in December new dorms and restrooms, a project that was started on July 23 last year aimed at upgrading the infrastructure and services of the local Fire Department following an investment of about 280,000 pesos, which would benefit the members of this service by reaching the goal of helping to furnish decent facilities for the organization. The mayor expressed his wish that the plan would help improve the working conditions of the fire fighters.

The mayor professed his knowledge of the invaluable work of the fire fighters in always putting their lives at risk to save others and declared the need to offer them well-deserved equipment and better facilities.

After cutting the inaugural ribbon, the mayor inspected the whole new facilities of the Fire Department and took the occasion to speak to its members, listened to their needs and pledged to support them through housing plans and other arrangements in the next year.

On the same occasion, Alejandro Zepeda Munro, joined by the Director of Social Development, Ernesto Portugal García, handed 50 vouchers from the Diconsa Food Program to the fire fighters, wishing them a happy holiday season together with their loved ones.

The mayor thanked the whole department for their vigor and devotion shown day in and day out in guaranteeing the safety of city residents, especially at the time when many families spent time together celebrating. He finally voiced his confidence that members of the department would do their duties and would not neglect their work at any event.

A new housing project with about 15 million pesos investment earmarked is going to be launched as part of what signifies the start of reviving the construction industry in this city, thus was announced recently. Arturo Taddei, general director of the Mediterráneo Residencial group, after a meeting with Mayor Alejandro Zepeda Munro, said that the first stage of the residential complex would constitute the building of 45 homes.

He remarked that the project joined others that at the close of the past year resumed work in Puerto Peñasco, letting the creation of new jobs. The general director of Mediterráneo Residencial disclosed that the building of the first stage would start in about one month and the project estimated an investment of more or less 15 million pesos, which should also yield minimum 100 direct jobs. He added that the cost of each residential home would revolve around 275,000 pesos.

In the same tone, Mayor Zepeda Munro highlighted that the construction of a new residential area mirrored heartening indications for the local economy and emphasized that signs of economic recovery in Puerto Peñasco could be seen with the start of new projects such as this. The Mayor felt assured that 2010 would be a good year for the residents of this municipality.

He stressed that it was very positive that they were starting with this kind of news, such as the construction of a new housing zone, which gave them more assurance that they would see a better year in Peñasco.

Alejandro Zepeda repeated that the municipal administration would provide its cooperation to all investors intending to launch their projects in Puerto Penasco.

Approval of the 2009-2012 Municipal Development Plan and the inception of the Puerto Peñasco Municipal Institute of Culture and Art, with other understandings, were acknowledged during the fifth normal full session of the City Council.

In the conference, representatives from the governing body issued authorization for the institution of a Municipal Institute of Culture and Art for Puerto Peñasco, which will replace what is at present the Department of Civic Action and Culture.

A press release explained that the local City Council completely agreed to the authorization of the Municipal Development Plan, which contains important proposals and activities to be taken to help the entire area of people in Puerto Peñasco.

During the normal session, held on January 7th, and guided by Mayor Alejandro Zepeda Munro, the Director of Planning and Economic Development, Víctor Mazón Muñoz, explained the plan which is to be announced in the Official Journal of the State, release expenses will be deducted from the city apportionment.

This authorization, as explained in the announcement, will give greater abilities to pull in more programs and supplies for the exhaustive progression of arts and sciences in the municipality.

Among other intentions agreed upon, City Council representatives also gave approval for a private business to commence research to see if there have been unsuitable bills expenses from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) to City Hall and, as applicable, reacquire any charges there may be.

Additionally, the City Council approved the outline extended by Mrs. Francisca Nidia Pino Montoya, with regards to naming one of the municipality’s roads after her deceased father, Abelardo Pino Ruiz “El Quemal”, in remembrance of his helping hand as one of the settlers and establishers of Peñasco. Under this intention it was also authorized to rename 68th Ave. to Guadalupe Baca Cervantes.

Likewise, members voted in favor of the creation of a Comprehensive Vacation Program for city operators to become effective during stages at the end of the year and in the summer, so as to implement a uniform vacation time frame without hampering the duties of the City or community services.

In conclusion, via a lion’s share, members gave authorization that the Office for the Comprehensive Management of Municipal Sanitation Services (OOMISLIM) begin charges for trash removal from representatives from the first and second levels of the Municipal Administration.

MEXICO CITY (CNNExpansión.com) – Only two days to complete the registration deadline for mobile lines (RENAUT) still need just under 30 million users register, the risk is that by law will be disconnected from next April 11.

The Federal Telecommunications Commission (Cofetel) states on its website that have registered 54.2 million of the 83.5 million lines that exist in the country, ie 65%, about 1 million of them were given a single high day.

The cancellation of this number of lines in Mexico could lead to a level of penetration of mobile services similar to what existed in 2005 or to which Haiti is now, according to Ernesto Piedras, Director General of The Competitive Intelligence Unit (CIU).

The analyst believes that the measure will have a social impact specifically on those groups that do not have an advanced digital culture, such as the elderly and rural populations.

The SIC estimates, about 9.6 million lines have not been registered belong to people over 60 years.

“All operators, including Telcel, requested the authorities and legislators to postpone the registration deadline because there is a significant base of users to register and when the deadline will no longer be how to make it to its suspension lines without the right to recovery, which we think is going right up against the spirit of the initiative is to have a record of mobile phone users, “said Guillermo Ferrer, director of Institutional Relations of America Movil to CNNExpansión.com.

The remaining players were unavailable to give his position on this issue.

The cancellation of the mobile lines will result in “users to a civil penalty for their irresponsibility. While companies with a late penalty for his involvement in the process,” said Rogelio Bustamante, telecommunications specialist Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Mexico City.

On Wednesday the Committee on Communications and Transportation of the Senate rejected an extension to the registration on the National Register of Mobile users which expires this April 10, so that the lines have not been discharged will be void.

Which continues to charge for the canceled lines of post-payment will lead to conflicts between the user and the operator are difficult to resolve an instance as the Federal (CJF) usually takes care of it, according to the professor of Tec de Monterrey.

“The most affected will be about 30 million Mexicans who have not yet registered, many of which the cell is the only means of communication they have, in other cases is vital to perform their daily activities. Additionally we concerned about the thousands of users without CURP to register, “says the director of America Movil.

The Technological University of Hermosillo (UTH), Peñasco branch, will have its own new campus by next September following the donation of six hectares of land by San Rafael ejido (communal land) for its construction and operation, and as a start 24 million pesos will be invested for the project.

This was revealed by Mayor Alejandro Zepeda Munro in a press release about the development of the university’s new site planned to start in March, which will offer wider opportunities in the field of further education to young people in the municipality and region. So far since September 2007, the UTH has been running using the facilities of the Technological Institute of Puerto Peñasco (ITSPP), as part of the tourism academic corridor, which also includes Conalep and the CESUES.

The mayor was confident the construction would finish in time for the new campus to start classes by next September.

He went on to say that they had arrived at an agreement to set up another institution of higher education after meeting with the university’s director, Miguel Angel Salazar Candia. As a start, among the degrees to be offered at the UTH, Peñasco branch, will be University Technicians in Gastronomy, University Technicians in Marketing and University Paramedic Technicians.

The mayor reported that after talks with the San Rafael ejido, the ejido resolved to join in the effort and they received the ejido’s cooperation to realize the plan by making available six hectares of land needed for the development of the campus.

Mayor Zepeda and Miguel Angel Salazar together conveyed their appreciation to José de Jesús Mercado Celaya, ejido president, for his tolerance shown, so that it will be possible to start study courses by September.

Zepeda Munro stressed the importance of a new college in Puerto Peñasco, saying that students will greatly benefit from having a university that charges a fixed fee of about 500 pesos for every semester.

Salazar Candia said that they would start advertising in May for those interested in joining the institution. Enrollment will require among others a high-school degree, birth certificate, CURP ID and 6 small-sized photographs.

The UTH director and the city leader disclosed that 18 million pesos would be allocated for the development of the building and another 6,381,000 pesos for equipment. The project will open about 200 jobs.

A total of 37 women took part in training course workshops offered at the Municipal office covering cosmetology, and also courses on gelatin and cheese preparation. These courses were offered in conjunction with DIF, the Integral Family Development program. Of the women, 16 took the cosmetology course, and 21 learned about cheese and gelatin preparation. Jessica Abril Monreal and Flora Munguía de Encisco taught the courses and were at the ceremony on the patio of the DIF offices. The president of DIF, Marcela Albelais de Zepeda, encouraged the women in attendance to always work toward their goals and keep a high self-esteem. Some of the women that took these courses took time out of their personal lives to participate in these workshops, knowing that upon completion, they will have learned new skills to better themselves and the lives of their families.

One of the 37, Socorro Cortez Estrada was one of the first ones to receive a document of achievement for her participation. With this, she will be able to get a job or even work for herself. The president of DIF and the city secretary, José Ramón Campos Santos they urged the women to continue taking advantage of the opportunities the Mayor, Alejandro Zepeda Munro is giving by creating all the new avenues to improve local family economies.

Alonso Domínguez Ruiz, administrator of the Sea of Cortez International Airport reported that because of the state of the economy of both the United States and Mexico, it really isn’t feasible for direct commercial flights to begin running to Puerto Peñasco. There are quite a few airlines “waiting in the wing” to being, but right now is not the optimal time. Aero Calafia and Aero Mexico are two airlines from Mexico interested in flying to Puerto Peñasco, along with Sky west and US Airways from the United States. They all have met with Ruiz, after the heightened interest over the course of about 2 months in Puerto Peñasco as a tourist destination after the opening of the international airport. With goals set for the middle of the year to increase air travel to Puerto Peñasco, they will surely keep in touch with the current airlines that have expressed interest.

Aiming for the shortest time frame possible, Ruiz said that Puerto Peñasco will receive its first commercial national and international flights. With the economy as it is, it is not possible to give exact dates, but assured the public that it will be done as soon as possible. The Sea of Cortez airport has begun national operations, but has the ability and will create new routes to and from the United States as well as from other continents. One day, Puerto Peñasco will receive visitors from all over the world, not just the US, and that is where Ruiz’s sights are set.

Just for fact’s sake, the Sea of Cortez’s airport has the capacity to bring in Boeing 737-700 planes, and the actual operations began the last part of October. President Felipe Calderón formally gave the inauguration on November 9^th of 2009.

The expense budget for 2010 in the municipality of Puerto Peñasco was approved unanimously, following a sharp reduction in resources for city departments, including the Municipal DIF and City Hall. In addition there will be no salary increases for municipal managers.

Members of City Council authorized spending for 2010 for the amount of 288,712,446 pesos.

Mayor Alejandro Zepeda Munro stated he was happy with the process that led to the approval of the budget, emphasizing  that they had made allowances to assure more efficient use of funds.

His office implemented a decrease of 47% when compared to last year’s budget in 2009.He indicated as a sign of the care with which the funds in 2010 will be managed.

Zepeda Munro stated that another area where decreased spending was seen was in the office for Integral Family Development (DIF), with close to a 27% reduction when compared to the spending of 2009.

In spite of these decreases  Mayor Munro stated that they would still be increasing support and services. It is worth mentioning that in 2010 it is projected that 266 grocery vouchers will be granted and the following year will be raised to 100 vouchers which is a 400% increase.

Some areas of the budget cannot be decreased like outstanding debt with the Treasury. Spending for the departments of Public Works, Public Services, and Public Safety should remain similar to last year. It is hoped that with proper negotiation with the Federal Government that new projects can be implemented.

Zepeda Munro did not mince words when it came to salary increases for municipal managers. If however they produce positve results and are accountable with the funds provided, that situation may change the following year.

The Mayor said that in the event the State Congress were to adjust the income budget, they would then have to modify the approved budget as well. In addition, as required, during the year they will take the necessary action as required by the different municipal departments.

Zepeda Munro restated that generally they are satisfied with the budget, but in some departments like DIF and City Hall they needed to deduct from their budgets. At the same time, this requires them to to make more responsible use of the public’s money, he explained.

The Mayor stated that for 2010 they are developing numerous public works projects, public safety, and community affairs, and mentioned that he was confident they will have enough funds in order to complete the projects.