Costa Rica tops Latin American ranking of outsourcing services
January 16, 2013 - Tico Times By L. Arias
“San José is one of the most impressive services destinations in the continent,” study says.
The “Top 100 Outsourcing Destinations Report 2013” places Costa Rica as the best country in Latin America for outsourcing operations and 13th worldwide.
The private study released by global consulting and investment firm Tholons indicates that Costa Rica climbed five positions from the 2012 index and is “a key player in the corporate services industry and information technology in Latin America and the world.”
“San José, Costa Rica, remains one of the most impressive destinations in the region. It surpassed bigger cities like São Paulo and Buenos Aires, consolidating the city as one of the big winners in the 2013 list,” the report cited.
Foreign Trade Minister Anabel González said Wednesday in a statement that this prominent position is a direct result of the work done to develop and consolidate the services sector in Costa Rica.
Gabriela Llobet, executive director of the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency, added that the Tholons ranking also reflects that the country now competes not only with continental leaders but also directly with global giants such as India, Poland, Ireland and Malaysia.
The only two countries in Central America that made the list besides Costa Rica were Nicaragua and Guatemala, appearing at the bottom of the ranking at 95 and 96, respectively.
Exports Higher than Expected for 2012
January 2nd, 2013 Costa Rica News –
Costa Rica export numbers was 7.25 percent higher than the projections for 2012, reaching an $16.9 billion in revenues. Exports in November 2012 increased from $9.7 billion in 2011 to $10.4 billion this year, according to the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER).
The main reasons for this growth in exports is the European Free Trade Association (Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland, EFTA), which accounted for 95.2 percent to the same period in 2011, and exports increased by 8.7 percent to the European Union (EU).
Increases in coffee, bananas, palm oil, and medical devices showed the highest gains.
The majority of Costa Rica’s exports go to the US, 38.9%, Holland second with 7.6 percent; Panama third with 5.2 percent of domestic goods, PROCOMER reported.Exports exceeded the projection of $15.7 billion by $1.1 billion, the Foreign Trade Ministry (COMEX) reported.
Many analysts were surprised by this growth in light of the global economic slowdown and further indication of strong positive growth for Costa Rica in 2013.The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
Costa Rica Closes 2012 with Positive Economic Numbers
January 2nd, 2013 Costa Rica News –
Costa Rica closes 2012 with positive economic numbers, even though the poverty rate has not dropped significantly and a persistent fiscal deficit close to 4.5% of gross domestic product (GDP).
“Economic growth for 2012 could be around 5%, slightly higher than expected in the macroeconomic program,” said the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR).The Central Bank of Costa Rica noted that the average annual rate of monthly economic activity index was up 5.7% in September, driven by growth in sectors such as manufacturing and service industries.
Inflation reached 4.3% in November and 5.2% as annual rate, which remained within the target Central Bank of Costa Rica close the year between 4% and 6%, the bank said.
Regarding exports of goods in the first eleven months of 2012 totaled U.S. $ 10.45 million, up 8.2% compared to ammount accrued in the same period of 2011.
Foreign Trade Minister, Anabel González said a few weeks ago to Costa Rica in 2013 will focus on legislative approval of free trade agreements (FTA) has already signed with Singapore and Peru, and to end the negotiation an FTA with Colombia and have commercial approaches with South Korea, Brazil, Qatar and Kuwait.
Among the main challenges for the government of President Laura Chinchilla for 2013 include reducing poverty, and the push back against fiscal deficit to be around 4.5% of GDP.
Poverty in 2012 amounted to 20.6% of households in the country, representing a decrease of one percentage point compared with 21.6% in 2011, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) .That 20.6% of poor households is equivalent to 1.1 million people (23.6% of the population), while extreme poverty amounted to 6.3% of poor families, a figure similar to last year when it was of 6.4%.
Meanwhile, the accumulated deficit in November totaled approximately $ 1,771,000, which represents 4% of GDP and remained within Government projects did not exceed 4.7% this year.
Old banknotes lose their value from January 1, & only to be accepted in banks December 31, 2012 - By L. Arias Tico Times
Beginning January 1, 2013, Ticos can pay only using the new bills introduced by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR). “As for this Tuesday Jan. 1 and until April 30, 2013, old bills can only be redeemed at branches and agencies of local banks,” said the BCCR in a press release. From May 1, the old banknotes may be exchanged only at the BCCR offices.
This measure completes the transition in which all Costa Rica’s banknotes were renewed. Last August the BCCR introduced new ₡5,000 and ₡10,000 bills, the last two of the "new family." Central Bank in 2010 began phasing out the old bills and put into circulation new ₡1,000, ₡2,000 and ₡20,000 banknotes.
All include security features to prevent counterfeiting, such as translucent watermarks, color-changing shapes and textured images.
They also have features that facilitate recognition by the visually impaired.
Higher corporation tax will be 189,700 OR $380 $190 FOR INACTIVE CORPS
Dec. 26, 2012 By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
As expected, the base judicial salary on which the tax on corporations is figured has increased.
Owners of active corporations will have to pay 189,700 colons by Jan. 15 to avoid interest and the freezing of the company. That is about $380. ASK YOUR ATTORNEY OR ACCOUNTANT!
Those owning inactive corporations include many expats who hold vehicles and real estate is sociedades anónimas or limited liability corporations. The tax bill for inactive corporations will be half that for active entities or 94,850 colons, about $190.
Costa Rica law sets many fines and taxes on what is called base salary. It is the salary of an auxiliar administrativo 1 who works in the Poder Judicial. When the president signed the bill for the new tax in 2011, the base salary was 316,200 colons or about $622. So the tax on corporations, which went into force this April 1 was half that, $311.
But before the ink was dry, judicial workers got a raise to 360,000 colons a month, so the tax increased, too. This is the first year that owners of corporations will pay the full tax.The base salary affects many other aspects of daily life. The base salary system is used so that taxes and fines keep pace with inflation.
Judicial officials are generous to employees. The 19,400-colon raise to the auxiliar administrativo 1 represents an increase of about 5.4 percent. That is more than the annual increase in the nation's minimum wages and for salaries elsewhere in the government.
United to fly non-stop between Chicago and Costa Rica
December 20, 2012 - Tico Times By L. Arias
The airline also plans to launch a Washington-San José flight in coming days.
United Airlines announced plans Wednesday to begin new non-stop service on several international and domestic routes in the spring, including weekly year-round service between Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport and San José, Costa Rica, scheduled to begin April 13.
The flight is subject to government approval and will operate using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the company said in a release.
From other hubs, United also will begin international service between Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport and San José, subject to official approval.
The airline is set to launch new domestic services from Dulles to Vancouver, British Columbia, between Newark and Edmonton and between Denver and Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Here's what's open and what's closed for the holidays
Dec. 21, 2012 By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
BANKS: BAC San José (2295-9595), closed Dec. 25 and Dec. 30-Jan. 1. Open Dec. 24 until 1 pm. Banco Proamérica (2519-8090, 2258-2212) open Dec. 24 until 3 p.m., closed Dec. 25 and Dec. 30-Jan. 1; normal business hours over the holiday period. Banco de Costa Rica (2287-9000) branches will be closed at 4 p.m., Dec. 24, and will be closed Dec. 30-31. Banco Nacional (2212-2000) branches will close at 3:45 p.m., Dec. 24 and will be closed Dec. 30-31. Banco Popular (2211-7000) will close Dec. 24 and 31. Mutual Alajuela (2437-1000) open until 3 p.m. on Dec. 24, closed Dec. 25 and 31. Scotiabank (2210-4000) open until 3 p.m. on Dec. 24, closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. DAVIVIENDA (2287-1111) call for holiday business hours.
EMBASSIES: Holiday closures at major embassies are as follows: British Embassy (2258-2025) closed Dec 24-26 and Jan. 1. Canadian Embassy (2242-4400) closes Dec. 24 at noon, through Dec. 27, also closed Jan. 1. French Embassy (2234-4167) closed Dec. 24-25, 31 and Jan 1. Japanese Embassy (2232-3787) closed Dec. 25 and Dec. 29-Jan. 3. U.S. Embassy (2220-3939) closed Dec. 24-25, Jan. 1.
Government offices: Most government offices will be closed Dec. 23-Jan. 2. The Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) and Supreme Court will have a limited area open 24 hours a day for emergencies, although all administrative areas will be closed. For emergencies, dial 911.
Hospitals and Pharmacies: Rest assured that hospital emergency rooms will remain open 24 hours a day. The Red Cross (tel. 128) and National Insurance Institute (800-800-8000) also attend emergencies at all hours. Those who over-eat Christmas dinner can find Alka-Seltzer and more 24-7 over the holidays at Clínica Bíblica Hospital drugstore and emergency room (2522-1000) in downtown San José, La Católica Hospital drugstore and emergency room (2246-3000) in Guadalupe and Farmacia Sucre Los Angeles (2262-3111) in Heredia.
Mail and Shipping: Aerocasillas (2208-4848) and DHL (2209-0000) will be open during normal business hours, except Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Correos de Costa Rica (2202-2900) will be closed Dec. 25-Jan. 1.
Movie Theaters: Most theaters throughout the country report no closures during the holidays this year. CitiCinemas Grecia (2444-1779) and CitiCinemas Jacó (2643-2100) will close at 7 pm. on Dec. 24 and 31.
Museums: The Central Bank Museums (home to the Gold Museum, 2243-4202) underneath Plaza de la Cultura and the Children’s Museum (2258-4929) at Ca. 4, Av 9 will be closed Dec. 24-25 and 31 and Jan. 1. The National Museum (2257-1433) at Ca. 17, Av. Central will be closed Dec. 23-26 and Dec. 31-Jan.3 The Contemporary Art and Design Museum (2257-9370) at CENAC, Av 3/5, Ca. 15/17 will close Dec. 24 and reopen Jan. 7. INBioparque (2507-8107) in Santo Domingo de Heredia will be open Dec. 26, 9 a.m.- 5:30 pm. and will be closed Dec. 24-25, 31 and Jan. 1.
Supermarkets: Most Auto Mercado (2257-4242) stores will be open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Dec. 25 and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Dec. 31 except Herradura, Tamarindo and Coco, which will be open 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Dec. 25 and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Jan 1. Walmart (2286-0033) stores in Heredia, Escazú, Guadalupe, San Sebastián, Cartago and Curridabat will close at 9 pm. Dec. 24, and remain closed Dec. 25, 31 and Jan. 1. Stores will be open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Dec 26-30. Most Mas x Menos (2243-7100) supermarkets will be open until 9 pm. Dec. 24 and 31 and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. MegaSuper (2246-0400) will be open until 10 pm. Dec. 24 and 31, and 9 a.m. -7 p.m. Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Muñoz y Nanne (2253-4646) in San Pedro will be open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Dec. 24, 30 and 31 and will close at 6 p.m. Dec. 29. Pali (2243-7100) stores will be open 8:30 a.m.-7:30pm. Dec. 24, 30 and 31 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec 25 and Jan 1. PriceSmart stores in Escazú (2288-0008), Heredia (2262-4848) Zapote (2283-9464) and Tibás (2297-2343) will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1; on Dec. 24 and 31, stores will open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saretto (2228-6703) supermarket in Escazú will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 and will maintain regular business hours all other days.
Theaters: Arlequín (2221-5485) at Ca. 15, Av. 2/6, is closed until Jan. 11. Teatro Torres (2256-4295 at Av. 8, Ca 11/13, closed Dec. 24 and 31 with the play Divorciados y Angelicas. La Esquina Theater (2257-0223) at Av. 1. Ca 21, reopens Jan 5. El Triciclo Theater (2222-2624) Ca 15, Av 8/10, will be closed until Jan. 6. La Máscara Theater (2222-4574) at Av. 2, Ca 13 bis, reopens Jan. 14.
Veterinarians: The National University Veterinary Hospital (2260-9234) in Barreal de Heredia will be open 24 hours and requests that visitors send and email to hospitalespeciesmenores@gmail.com before arriving, unless it’s an emergency! Dr. Bitter’s clinics (2227-5017, 2228-1753 in San José and Escazú will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Dr. Adrián Molina (2228-1909, 2288-1716, emergency 2225-2500) in Escazú closed Dec. 24-25, 31, Jan. 1-2.
Here is a partial list of what will be open and what is closed for the holidays.
Poder Judicial
The administrative offices of Poder Judicial will be closed from Friday to Jan. 7. All other offices will be open during this time with the exception of Christmas, which is Tuesday, and New Year's Day, Jan. 1, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. However, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve the offices will only open in the mornings.
These offices include Juzgado de Pensiones Alimentarias, Tribunal Penal, Juzgados de Calle Blancos y San Jose, Juzgados Penal Juvenil, Juzgado Contravencional, Juzgado Violencia Domestica, Regristro Judicial, Fiscalia Judicial, Defensoria Publica and the Sala Constitucional. Sala Constitucional will only receive complaints to the Sala IV. For more information, call 2295-4942.
Municipalidad de San José
The administrative offices for the San José municipality will be closed from Friday to Jan. 7. Special sections such as business licensing, construction, Policia Municipal, cobros, cemetery services, street cleaning and park guards will only close Christmas and New Year's Day. For more information, call 2547-6000.
Municipalidad de Escazú
The Escazú municipality will be closed from Friday to Jan. 6. For more information, call 2208-7500.
Municipalidad de Liberia, Guanacaste
The Liberia municipality will be closed from noon Friday until Jan. 7. For more information, call 2266-0169.
Banco Nacional
Banco Nacional will be closed Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's day. The Desamparados branch will be closed Dec. 27 for the carnival in that canton. For more information, call 2212-2000.
Banco de Costa Rica
Bank employees will work Christmas Eve until 4 p.m. Normal hours will be maintained from Wednesday to Dec. 29. The bank will be closed Tuesday, Christmas Day, and Dec, 31 and Jan. 1.
U.S. Embassy
The American Embassy will close Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year's Day. For the rest of the holiday season the embassy will be open its regular hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A.M. Costa Rica
The country's most successful English-language newspaper will publish every day except Christmas and New Year's Day and will update readers on the Web site and by email in case of emergencies. The Barrio Otoya offices will be closed to the public today at 4 p.m. and will reopen Jan. 2. In case of emergencies, the number 8832-5564 will be available the entire vacation.
Despite the office being closed, advertising will be accepted as well as news items and tips. All emails will be monitored, but the preferred address is editor@amcostarica.com.
Instituto Nacional de Seguros
The Instituto Nacional de Seguros will be closed from Saturday until New Year's Day. Health services will be closed New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day. However the services for Casa de Salud and call centers will not close. Services will return to the regular hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 2.
Walmart
Walmart will not close for the holidays but will have special hours. Christmas Eve, Monday, it will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m, and Christmas it will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. From Wednesday to Dec. 30, the store will operate its normal hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Finally on New Year's Eve, the store will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m and on New Year's Day the store will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Multiplaza
The Centro Comercial Multiplaza Escazú will be open daily from the hours 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. until Saturday. Christmas Eve, Monday, Multiplaza will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will be closed on Christmas Day, Tuesday, and New Year's Day. On New Year's Eve the Multiplaza will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad
The 112 agencies of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad will have normal hours from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except that they will be closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Another exception is the the agency in Sabana Norte will be closed from Friday to Jan. 7. Agencies in commercial centers, such as Centro Comercial Multiplaza Escazú will be open during the times established by the mall management. The bulk of the telephone services like international calls, electrical outages and other services will be in operation 24 hours a day.
Episcopal Parish of The Good Shepherd
Anglican/Episcopal services:
Sunday, Fourth Sunday of Advent, English 8:30 a.m. and
Español 11a.m.
Monday, Christmas Eve. Bilingual 6 p.m. with pageant
presented by the children of the Sunday School.
Christmas Day. 9 a.m. English and Español 9 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 30, first Sunday of Christmas: English 8:30 a.m.
and Español 11 a.m.
Monday, Dec. 31, New Year's Eve: Bilingual 6 p.m.
The Church of the Good Shepherd is on Avenida 4 between Calles 3 and 5 opposite the Colegio Superior de Señoritas. Further information is available via e-mail to pbuenpastor@hotmail.com or by calling 2222-1560.
International Baptist Church
The Guachipelín, Escazú, church will hold at 6 p.m. Christmas Eve candlelight Service and a concert at 4 p.m. Dec. 31.
Costa Rican exports surpass annual goal
December 20, 2012 - Tico Times By L. Arias
More goods sold to Europe boost November accumulated figures.
Pineapple sales to Europe had a positive performance in export figures.
Costa Rican exports in November increased from $9.7 billion in 2011 to $10.4 billion this year, representing an 8.2 percent increase, according to data released Wednesday by the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER).
One of the main reasons for the increase is the growth of exports to the European Free Trade Association (Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland, EFTA), which accounted for 95.2 percent (compared with the same period in 2011), while exports to the European Union (EU) increased by 8.7 percent.
The increase in exports to EFTA mainly is due to the positive performance of coffee, bananas, palm oil, and medical devices. Meanwhile, growth to the EU was driven by products such as integrated circuits, medical supplies, pineapple, coffee and palm oil, among others.
The majority (38.9 percent) of Costa Rican exports go to the United States, followed by 7.6 percent to Holland; Panama is third, receiving 5.2 percent of domestic goods.
Costa Rica's figures exceeded by 7.25 percent the projected goal of exports for 2012, achieving an estimated income of $16.9 billion.
“This amount is higher by $1.1 billion than the $15.7 billion goal projected by the current administration in 2010,” the Foreign Trade Ministry (COMEX) stated.
Last Saturday, COMEX officials concluded a trade negotiations round with EFTA, while the Association Agreement with the European Union received approval by the International Relations and Foreign Trade Commission of the Legislative Assembly and is expected to be discussed by lawmakers on Jan. 21.
Human rights court orders Costa Rica to legalize in vitro fertilization
December 20, 2012 - Tico Times By L. Arias
The Inter-American Commission of Human Rights brought Costa Rica before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights last September.
The San José-based Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a ruling Thursday night against the government of Costa Rica condemning its ban on in vitro fertilization. The court ordered the country to legalize the practice, which was outlawed in March 2000 by the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, or Sala IV.
The ruling is obligatory for the country, Communications Minister Francisco Chacón said.
In 2001, a group of 18 affected families filed an appeal before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, and in September 2010, the commission recommended Costa Rica reverse the Sala IV’s ruling.
Costa Rica failed to implement the recommendation, and in October 2011, victims’ families filed a suit in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
The ruling also demands the state indemnify, within one year, all of the18 couples who filed the lawsuit with amounts ranging from $5,000-$20,000.
The court found that there was a violation of victims’ rights, as well as psychological damage. The court ordered the state to provide up to four years of free and immediate psychological treatment for victims.
"The ruling will be complied with in its entirety, as our country is respectful of international law. … In the coming weeks, we will report on the government’s actions," Chacón said.
Ileana Balmaceda, executive president of Costa Rica's Social Security System, said in a release that "the institution is not prepared at this time to assume a situation like this, and therefore, we need time to acquire the appropriate equipment and to train our staff."
Tourism Minister Allan Flores said in a press release that one of the reasons for the improvement is the increase in the frequency of flights, as well as the arrival of new airlines into the country. According to ICT figures, most foreign visitors arrived by air.
This year, several airlines increased flights to Costa Rica, including Iberia Airlines (5 percent increase in the number of flights from Madrid to San José), AeroMexico (two new daily flights between San José and Mexico City), and Copa Airlines (two weekly flights from Liberia to Panama).Flores also noted that between September 2011 and June 2012, Costa Rica participated in 27 international events to promote itself as a tourist destination.One of the government projects for next year is the construction of the National Congress and Convention Center, which could also help increase the number of tourists.However, some groups dispute the official tourism numbers released by the ICT, saying they include temporary workers and other non-tourism visitors.
Foreign direct investment from high-tech companies to reach $574 million
December 12, 2012 – Tico Times, By L. Arias
Technology services and medical supplies firms are the most important.Foreign firms from the high-technology sector in Costa Rica generated some $574 million and created 8,236 direct jobs in 2012, government officials said on Wednesday.
Foreign Trade Minister Anabel González and the president of the Costa Rican Coalition for Development Initiatives (CINDE), José Rossi, reported that these figures establish a new record for Costa Rica, as they exceed those obtained in 2011, when the country reached the highest numbers of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the sector in the last decade.
The previous year, high-tech FDI was $470 million, and 7,728 new jobs were created.
One of the factors that helped achieve the record was the arrival of 40 new high-tech investment projects that set up operations in Costa Rica. The new firms belong to the Technology Services, Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing and Clean Technologies sectors.“Most of them come from the United States, India, Korea, Japan, Germany, Spain, England and Colombia,” González added.
A new website offers detailed information of 125 doctors in Costa Rica
December 14, 2012 – Tico Times By Alberto Fony
The new digital company HuliHealth is helping link patients and the country’s top doctors through an online format that allows users to comment and rate the quality of private health care services.Need a doctor in Costa Rica and don’t know where to look? Want to know if the doctor you chose is recommended and trustworthy?
The digital company HuliHealth, now online, provides patients help with choosing the best doctors and specialists in all areas of health in the country.
“Our mission is to provide the tools necessary for both Costa Ricans and expats to find the best health professionals based on personal criteria. You can find a doctor by specialty, treatment, cost and location, and then view a doctor’s profile and comments from other patients. You also can make an appointment,” HuliHealth founder Alejandro Vega said. HuliHealth began as an idea a year and a half ago, when Vega realized that Costa Ricans and foreigners living or visiting here had difficulty finding information about specific doctors.The HuliHealth founder took his idea and applied for the 2011 “Intel Challenge,” a competition to promote entrepreneurialism and the use of technology in Latin America.
Through the program, participants receive training, mentorship and access to the best practices of Silicon Valley, one of the most technologically important regions on the planet. Vega won the Intel Challenge in Costa Rica with his idea for HuliHealth.
He then sought alliances, built a team and starting creating the site www.hulihealth.com. He selected the country’s best doctors and added them to the online database. To find them, Vega worked with what he calls “leaders of opinion” in different specialties. They in turn recommended the best doctors.
“We met with the heads of post-graduate studies in cosmetic surgery, dentistry and other fields at the University of Costa Rica, and they helped us choose the doctors. Once doctors are part of the HuliHealth network, they can recommend other doctors. “We only accept doctors through references from other members,” Vega said.In addition to reading up on doctors, making appointments and other useful tools, users also can ask doctors questions to help narrow their search. After an appointment, they can rate care and leave comments. Doctors with the best reviews are strategically placed on the site. Plus, patients who make appointments through HuliHealth receive a 5 percent discount on treatment. To date, some 125 doctors are registered at the site.
“There are advantages to belonging to a group that is recognized on a national and international level,” Padilla said. She added that patients also win: “One advantage to HuliHealth is that membership is not completely open [to doctors]. You have to meet certain standards, including commitment to providing quality health care and medical ethics, and that says a lot.”
Ophthalmologist David Flikier said he joined HuliHealth because he found the team that created it responsible and well organized. “The tendency is to drift toward the digitalized and globalized world, and we believe that HuliHealth is an option that can put us in contact with more patients and allow us to reach a wider audience, not only in the country, but also in other countries,” Flikier said.He said it’s also important to him that HuliHealth only accepts the most recognized and respected doctors, which ensures trust between patients and doctors. Down the road, HuliHealth plans on expanding to other countries and managing electronic medical records. Said Vega: “We’re constantly improving the site and adding the best doctors.”
New wind farm in Santa Ana will go into service Thursday
Dec. 12, 2012 By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz, S.A. will put into service Thursday its wind farm in Pabellón de Santa Ana with a ceremony involving dignitaries.
The 17 wind generators are designed to provide enough electricity to feed 5,700 homes.
The wind farm is part of a government strategy to use the windy months of the Costa Rican summer to augment the generating capacity of the various hydro plants when the water level is low. These would be from December until about May, depending on the year.The turnkey project was done with a German firm and financed by the Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica. The project has the support of the municipality of Santa Ana, said the electric company.
Officials also hope that by using wind instead of petroleum-fired generators during the dry season that amount of carbon dioxide released into the air will be lessened. Electric generation, mostly by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, known as ICE, has become expensive as the price of petroleum increases.ICE has a large wind complex that has been in service for years at Tilarán in Guanacaste near Lake Arenal. The government and the electrical utilities also are installing solar arrays to general power.
Smashburger opens first Latin American restaurant in Costa Rica
December 03, 2012 – Tico Times By L. Arias
The U.S.-based fast food chain Smashburger opened its first Latin American restaurant in Costa Rica on Dec. 1. The restaurant, located at Lincoln Plaza mall northeast of San José, is the first of 18 franchises planned for the region by partner Richard Eisenberg of QSR International. Eisenberg plans to open other locations in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
The new restaurant marks the third international market for the brand. It currently operates locations in Kuwait and Canada, and plans to open its next international locations in Saudi Arabia in early 2013, Smashburger CEO David Prokupek said.
“Our expansion into Latin America is an important milestone for Smashburger,“ he said. “We’ve built a brand that has a strong, passionate following well beyond the borders of the United States. Costa Rica is certain to be a great market for us.”
Carl's Jr. to open five new restaurants in Costa Rica in 2013
Posted: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 – Tico Times By L. Arias
The burger chain will invest some $4.5 million in the venture.
California-based hamburger chain Carl’s Jr. opened its first-ever location near the Central Park in downtown San José a year ago.
After opening its sixth restaurant in Costa Rica earlier this month in the province Heredia, California-based hamburger chain Carl’s Jr. now plans to open five more locations here next year.
The fast food franchise arrived in the country in 2011, and by 2013 plans to open new restaurants in Curridabat (east of San José), San Francisco (Heredia), Alajuela, Escazú (southwest of San José) and Tibás (northwest of San José).
General Manager Andrés Fachler told the weekly El Financiero that the expansion of the franchise means an investment of some $4.5 million, as it includes four free-standing locales and one located in a food court. According to Fachler, “the chain’s sales have exceeded company expectations, and combined with commercial sector growth, [the company] will boost its expansion in Costa Rica.”
The burger chain, which operates 3,182 restaurants worldwide, plans to open 25 locations in Costa Rica during the next five years, Fachler said during the opening of their first location near Central Park in San José, in November 2011.
ICT RECOGNIZED IN WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS™ 2012,
Official ICT Website October 24, 2012
• Costa Rica receives nine acknowledgements in various categories during the award ceremony
The World Travel Awards 2012,held on September 14th, in Italy, awarded Costa Rica in nine categories within the Mexican and Central American region, among them was an award given to the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) as the ¨Primary Tourism Board or Institute,¨ which was the first time the institute received this award.
Costa Rica was up for 41 nominations, of which they won nine. The hotel, Barceló San José Palacio, was the winner of the “Primary Airport-Hotel,” and the Tabacón Resort & Spa in La Fortuna, won in two categories, “Best Green Hotel” and “Primary Luxury Resort”. The Hotel Real Intercontinental won the “Primary Business Hotel” of the area.
The Westin Resort & Spa Playa Conchal won the “Primary Family Resort”. The JW Marriott Guanacaste came away with the “Best Luxury Hotel” in Mexico and Central America. Rounding out the list was the Four Seasons Guanacaste, winner of the “Best Golf Resort” and the Hotel & Reserva Gaía in Manuel Antonio, won the “Best Boutique Hotel”.
Some of the more notable nominations were the Juan Santamaría International Airport, which won the “Primary Airport” of the area, which it also won in 2008 and since then, has been nominated every year in this category.
The World Travel Awards™ has been held every year since 1994, which honors the best of the best in the tourism industry. According to The Wall Street Journal, winning in this event is equivalent to the Oscars of the tourism industry.To see the complete list winners and nominees of the World Travel Awards™ 2012, go to the following link: http://www.worldtravelawards.com/winners2012-7
COSTA RICA SWEEPS CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER’S 2012 READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS, Official ICT Website: October 24, 2012
The Costa Rica Tourism Board is thrilled to announce that Costa Rica was the most celebrated destination in Central America in the 2012 Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards released this week. The top honors went to the region’s favorite hotels and resorts, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler.
In the list of the top resorts in Central and South America, seven of the 15 properties were from Costa Rica, and two Costa Rican properties made the list of top hotels in Central America. The winners highlight the country’s various regions and offerings, showcasing a broad view of Costa Rica’s attractions appealing to every type of traveler. The list takes into account factors such as rooms, service, food, location, design and activities, and the winners ranged from beachfront properties in Guanacaste, to a honeymooners’ favorite in Manuel Antonio National Park, to a sustainable and highly acclaimed resort and spa in the Central Valley, to one of San Jose’s most beloved treasures, and many more.
Among the top resorts in Central and South America are:
- Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort – Herradura, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- Xandari Resort & Spa – Alajuela, Costa Rica
- Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo – Guanacaste, Costa Rica
- Hotel Punta Islita – Guanacaste, Costa Rica
- El Silencio Lodge & Spa – Alajuela, Costa Rica
- Arenas del Mar – Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
- Westin Golf Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal – Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Among the top hotels in Central America are:
- Hotel Grano de Oro – San José, Costa Rica
- Hotel Villa Caletas – Puntarenas, Costa Rica
“We are honored to see how readers of Condé Nast Traveler rate their experiences in Costa Rica, and how their favorites cover various corners and climates of the country’s landscape showing how there really is something for everyone and considered the best of the best,” said Ireth Rodriguez, Deputy Marketing Director for the Costa Rica Tourism Board.
The Readers’ Choice Awards, now in its 25th edition, drew a record number of reader participation this year with 46,476 readers voting for their favorite hotels, resorts and cruise lines. This annual survey ultimately awarded 1,306 winners what is considered to be one of the industry’s most esteemed recognitions.
CAFTA Passes 5 Years in Action
October 29, 2012 11:25 Written by Rod Hughes, Fijatevos
It has been five years this month since the free trade pact with the United States (CAFTA) was narrowly approved by the country's first national referendum.
Since that time, when a hard-fought political battle convulsed and riveted public discussion, none of the disasters or panaceas hysterically predicted by left and right have occurred. Certainly, the trade picture is bright with exports fairly brisk to the nation's favorite trade partner, the United States. But it falls far short of the promises of CAFTA's biggest booster, then-President Oscar Arias.
But the treaty has not resulted in the dire predictions of the U.S. dumping a flood of goods on the local market, nor cultural dominance of that country that would shortly swallow the Tico way of life.
Two of the most important changes were to break the state-owned ICE telecommunications monopoly and the INS insurance deadlock on that market. Yet, today, INS is strong because it adapted well to the free enterprise market place, although ICE -- which initially resisted -- still struggles.
The harshest critic of CAFTA is economist Luis Paulino Vargas who laments that the treaty did not result in a promised spike of jobs which remains at 10.3% unemployment, 13% under-employed and another 30% in "informal" activities such as door-to-door sales.
But, in an interview with Minister of Foreign Trade Anabel Gonzalez (who lauded the treaty for increasing trade and foreign investment) she praised the treaty for forcing the offering of choices for Costa Ricans of a variety of insurance policies and prices as well as cell phone companies.
Meanwhile, negotiations continue in the third round with Colombia over a yet another free trade pact with a fourth round envisioned for December and January. But the devil is in the details in such talks and those have delayed the negotiations a bit.
Nation Easier to Do Business, Study Says
26 October 2012 Written by Rod Hughes, Fijatevos
Almost unnoticed in the turmoil surrounding numerous scandals, the Chinchilla Administration's vow to make Costa Rica an easier place to do business seems to have borne some fruit.
The nation jumped 12 places in the Doing Business ranking by the World Bank. Vice President Luis Liberman, among others in both the Oscar Arias and Chinchilla administrations, have been working on the problem. Previously, the survey has given Costa Rica a very low ranking due to difficulties caused by stifling bureaucracy for running a business here. But both administrations, spanning 2006-12, have cleared away some underbrush.
For 2013, the country is ranked at 110 out of 185 countries, a lot better than their 2012 ranking of 122 but a long way from where Liberman would like to see the nation.
The country jumped 14 places in the obtaining credit category, 11 in ease of granting construction permits, 11 in international trade and 10 in payment of taxes. The last undoubtedly because of on line methods put in place.
But the country backslid three places in the opening of a new business, something that is vital for brisk foreign investment. But Economy Minister Mayi Antillon notes that a new electronic access, www.crearempresa.go.cr reduces to 20 days the time needed to establish a new firm--if there are no unexpected complications. Shirley Saborio, director of the Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Chambers and Associations, while happy with the improvement, says the most urgent work needs to be done with obtaining environmental and health permits.
Tourism industry has fingers crossed for the high season
October 16th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica– Costa Rica’s tourism industry, especially hotels, have had a difficult low season this year, but operators have their fingers crossed for a recovery as December approaches.
The “low season blues” were different this year depending upon the area of the country. In La Fortuna, San Carolos, hotels reported an average occupancy rate of just 20%, whereas in the southern zone the situation was quite better, with average occupancy above 50%. Low numbers in La Fortuna are likely the result of factors that have been at play for a few years (which no doubt include the slumbering state of the Arenal Volcano), while the positive results in the south are the result of newfound popularity for the area’s uniqueness and novelty, as well as improved access.
In Guanacaste, most operators say the September 5th earthquake had little impact on the sector. Still, the mayor of Nicoya, Marco Jimenez, sent an official document in which he is requesting the state banks give tourism companies a grace period on some obligations.
The Caribbean has seen quite a “low” low season as well, with hotel occupancy running an average 20%. However, the downturn seems to especially have affected those hotels and lodges catering to local tourism. Local tourism makes for a sizable portion of demand in many parts of the country from May until the first two weeks of December.
The tourism sector is currently between its low and high season, and October, generally the slowest month of all, is often used to provide maintenance, renovations, and other preparations for the high season.
Sofia Elizondo, director of CANATUR (National Tourism Chamber), explained that hotels generally book their rooms prior to the start of high season, and so far they appear to be doing well.
Elizondo also says tourists have been booking their vacations with less advance reservations in recent years.As a result, CANATUR and operators alike are feeling cautiously optimistic about the high season come December.
(CR Beach Jeff says: Even though this article failed to mention the Central Pacific areas of Jaco beach, Los Suenos, Punta Leona, Playa Hermosa, Esterillos, it must be noted that this past weekend, the streets of Jaco were absolutely jammed, and all bungalows were rented out at the Hermosa Beach bungalows!)
Sea Shepherd says shark-finning decree is toothless
Oct. 16, 2012 By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Sea Shepherd Conservation society has come out with a scathing critique of President Laura Chinchilla's decree last week on shark fins. The shark-finning ban is toothless and a largely symbolic gesture rather than a true commitment to sharks and their environment, said the environmental organization. The statement Monday echos similar concerns in Costa Rica where opponents of shark finning wonder how the decree will be enforced.
“Sea Shepherd is not buying it,” says Julie Andersen, Sea Shepherd’s director of shark campaigns in a release. “The supposed ban is smoke and mirrors by President Laura Chinchilla. Costa Rica is simply trying to do damage control for all the attention focused on shark-finning since it issued a warrant for the arrest of our founder Captain Paul Watson in May of this year,” she said. The organization argued if President Chinchilla were genuine in her desire to ban shark-finning, she would also ban the trade, possession and sale of shark fin as has been done in a handful of other forward-thinking nations. It added:
If President Chinchilla were genuine, she would ban shark fishing in its entirety — a demand for shark meat has been created that provides a very real loophole for shark fishermen to exploit.
If President Chinchilla were genuine, she’d ensure that Cocos Island was adequately protected and those protections enforced, to prevent illegal shark fishing.
If President Chinchilla were genuine, she’d drop the bogus charges against marine conservationist and Sea Shepherd president and founder Captain Paul Watson and stop siding with the shark fin mafia.
If President Chinchilla were genuine, she would have enacted legislation and enforcement to protect sharks before their numbers were down by up to 90 percent. Instead, in 2011, she allowed 400,000 sharks to be slaughtered and permitted the export of some 30 tons of shark fins, permitting private docks belonging to foreign interests to operate in violation of the country’s policies.
Sea Shepherd said that the Isla del Cocos, a U.N. World Heritage Site and one of the most important shark aggregation centers in the world, is filled with dozens of fishing boats illegally laying longlines.
By enacting this toothless ban, President Chinchilla is simply trying to appease the tourist industry by creating the illusion she is getting tough on the shark fin industry, said the organization, adding:
Shark fins are big business in Costa Rica. Indeed, one of the reasons there has been very little outcry from the shark fishing industry over this ban is because they know it will continue to be business as usual. Legislation and marine protected areas are only as good as the political will and available funds required to enforce them. Sadly, history proves the protection of Costa Rican waters is under-funded and/or managed by corrupt officials who are quick to turn a blind eye to what is really going on in their waters and have no intention of enforcing local laws.
The organization also said that if Costa Rica is really serious about saving sharks, the government should ban the trade, possession and sale of all shark fin; institute an immediate ban on shark fishing, as was done in nearby Honduras; step up enforcement; demonstrate some real conservation efforts at Cocos Island; tally up some actual arrests and seizures, and drop the outlandish charges against Captain Paul Watson. The people of Costa Rica want shark finning to stop, said Sea Shepherd.
President Chinchilla must understand that she is not fooling anyone with this announcement and that conservationists, park rangers, members of the coast guard, politicians, and members of the public in Costa Rica will continue to report the truth, it said.And the truth is that Costa Rica remains one of the most environmentally destructive and shark-destroying countries in the world, the organization added.
Watson is the environmentalist who was detained in Germany at the request of Costa Rica. Sea Shepherd and Watson argued that Costa Rica was only serving as a proxy for Japan, a country that seeks to prosecute Watson for the activities of Sea Shepherd in hampering the country's whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean. Watson left Germany and is not a fugitive.
The decree by Ms. Chinchilla last week bans the importation of shark fins. Commercial shark-finning already was illegal in Costa Rica, but the practice continues. Small-scale fishing for shark also is permitted.
Puntarenas hosts major wholesalers of shark fins, and after Costa Rica cracked down on the docking of shark fishing boats, the crafts unloaded in Nicaragua and the fins were trucked to Costa Rica.
Costa Rica bans shark finning with Richard Branson looking on
October 10, 2012 Tico Times- By Steve Ercolani
At 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, President Laura Chinchilla, flanked by Environment Minister René Castro and noted conservationist and billionaire owner of the Virgin Group, Richard Branson, signed a presidential decree that bans the practice of shark finning, as well as the importation and transportation of shark fins.
In a symbolic act, the event was held at the Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the nation’s most treasured protected areas.
“This government is making a grand investment in the strengthening and protection of marine resources, an investment of about $10-15 million for a new radar system that will cover 100 percent of our marine territory,” Chinchilla said to an audience that included the ministers of environment, agriculture and livestock and public security, as well as local school children.
Castro, who also signed the decree, noted, “This decree will allow us to stop the fishing of sharks in Costa Rican waters, which is intolerable for a country that defends its natural resources.”
“Our message,” added Chinchilla, “is that of zero tolerance for shark finning.”
Environment Minister René Castro spoke during the event held at the Manuel Antonio National Park. Courtesy of MINAET
Newly appointed Waters and Oceans Vice Minister José Lino Chaves estimated that in Costa Rica up to 400,000 sharks were caught in 2011 with the intention of selling the fins.
Of the decree’s five articles, the first explicitly prohibits the practice of shark finning of any species in Costa Rican waters, as well as the dismemberment of fins from the body of the shark from the moment the shark is caught.
The second article bans the importation of shark fins from any other country unless in possession of a certificate that states the sharks were landed with the fins naturally attached.
The third article outlines new rules for the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute (Incopesca), stating that all sharks must be inspected upon landing, verifying that all fins correspond to the correct species of shark and that fins are attached naturally.
The fourth implements a strict zero-tolerance policy for any boats found transporting shark fins, which will result in the cancelation of the vessel’s fishing license.
The ban is the result of more than a decade of work by many of the country’s nonprofit conservation groups, including the Marine Turtle Restoration Project (Pretoma), MarViva Foundation and others.
One of those at the forefront of the fight to end shark finning in Costa Rican waters is Pretoma President Randall Arauz. Pretoma, a small conservation group with a budget of $300,000 annually, has worked tirelessly in the past decade to draw attention to the highly lucrative global shark fin trade.
Costa Rica has long battled political maleficence in controlling the international trade of shark fins, due in part to conflicts of interest within the nation’s primary marine resources agency, Incopesca.
“The problem with Incopesca,” said Arauz, “is that it is autonomous and politically led, not by a minister or elected official, but by a board of businessmen with ties in the fishing industry. Long liners and shark finners are on the board.”
In July, Chinchilla vowed to work towards improving the management of the country’s marine resources and signed a number of decrees that created the Waters and Oceans Vice Ministry and the National Marine Commission. Conservationists hope that the new decree puts to bed what Branson said had put a stain on Costa Rica’s environmental image.
“Now they’ve gotten rid of that stain,” Branson said on Wednesday. The British tycoon also stressed the importance of youth participation in conservation efforts. “I think it is up to young people if they ever see any [environmental violations] happening to shout very loudly,” he said. Branson also called on residents to help the effort by supplying boats and other resources.
On his blog, Branson wrote, “I saw the film ‘Sharkwater’ a few years ago and it shook me to the core. Here we were decimating 1.5 million sharks per week – all for a bowl of soup.”
The film Branson references, Sharkwater, is a 2006 documentary that follows Paul Watson and his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society confronting shark poachers along the Pacific Coast of Guatemala and Costa Rica.
Costa Rica’s problem with shark finning received international attention when Watson was arrested in May in Germany on a warrant from Costa Rica over a high-seas incident in 2002. A Costa Rican fishing vessel accused Watson of attacking them (TT, May 18, 2012). Watson said the boat’s crew was shark finning.
Other attempts at shedding light on shark finning have generated negative publicity for a country that markets itself abroad as environmentally conscientious. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey allegedly was covered in gasoline and held at gunpoint when trying to film illegal finning activity in Puntarenas in 2011. Ramsey told the Daily Mail, “[Shark finning] is a multibillion-dollar industry, completely unregulated. We traced some of the biggest culprits to Costa Rica. These gangs operate from places like forts, with barbed-wire and gun towers.”
Since 2010, more than 15,000 kilograms of shark fins have entered Costa Rica. Many conservationists, such as Arauz, believe that China’s recent interest and investment in Costa Rica is not at all coincidental, and that in return for heavy investment in Costa Rican infrastructure Costa Rica remains lax on implementing those laws in place to prevent the practice. In China, a bowl of shark fin soup can fetch up to $150. After signing the decree, Chinchilla noted that, “We have added additional measures to control the commercialization of shark fins in the country, joining the current fishing law we already have with the prohibition of the importation of shark fins.”
But even now as the decree has been signed and Costa Rica continues to impose laws against this lucrative trade, conservationists are concerned about the entrance of fins by land from Nicaragua. Arauz takes issue with the decree’s second article, which stipulates fins can be transported across the border with a certificate signed by Nicaraguan officials stating the sharks were landed with fins attached.
“I don’t know why we decided the Nicaraguan government has so much credibility. It’s a sign Costa Rica has sold out,” Arauz said.
Other skeptics wonder how the decree and other fishing laws will be enforced. “Do you trust the Costa Rican justice system to monitor the new decree faithfully?” one reporter asked Branson on Wednesday.
“All of the young people I have spoken to in Costa Rica have been outraged for a long time about the slaughter of the species in the oceans,” Branson responded. “I think the public of Costa Rica will monitor it for the government.”
New way to avoid trips, long lines at government agencies, banks, and more
October 12th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica – In Costa Rica, there is a new method to avoid trips and long lines to government agencies, banks, insurance institutes, and others that used to require paperwork be done in person. Thanks to a new “digital signature card”, available now, many in-person trips may now be done remotely, from your home computer.
The digital signature card contains a special chip, and when connected to your computer, will allow you to perform many tasks that otherwise would have required your presence and physical signature in the past.
31,000 ticos and foreign residents have already purchased the card.
According to Carlos Melegatti, of the Costa Rican Central Bank BCCR), the digital signature is like a “cedula” (Costa Rican identification card), that can be used to conduct many forms of business without having to be present.
National Banks are not currently obligated to accept the digital signature, however, according to Melagatti, it is certainly practical for financial institutions to make use of the new card, in addition to government agencies, and it is expected that most financial institutions, if they haven’t already, will begin accepting its use.
Currently, 25 institutions accept the digital signature. Some of these are the “Poder Judicial” (Judicial branch), through which criminal reports and judicial files can be requested, the INS, in which policies and other business can be conducted, and the Engineers Professional College, in which blueprints can be requested, among many others.
There are currently 31 institutions in the country where one can obtain the card, which has a cost of $30-$35. Some of these institutions are the Banco Nacional, Banco Popular, Banco de Costa Rica, Banco Central, and INS (National Insurance Institute).
The process takes approximately 15 minutes and the card is issued on the spot.
The digital signature card is available to all Costa Ricans as well as foreign residents who have a valid DIMEX-standard cedula.
Colon Value holds steady till 2015
October 9th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica– Eight out of ten economists believe that factors causing the appreciation of the Costa Rican colon will continue or hold steady until at least 2015.
While some economists are concerned about the colon’s higher value on exports, others believe the export community has already absorbed the majority of the pressure.
What seems likely, though, according to economists, is that the dollar exchange rate will remain at around 500 colones to the dollar until 2015.
These are the results of research conducted by the economist Ronulfo Jimenez, as part of a project called “Inteligencia Financiera” (Financial Intelligence), for the national financial periodical, El Financiero.
Some economists are also blaming the over-abundance, and hence the downward pressure on the value of dollars on the high interest rates paid on colon investments in Costa Rica, which is attracting foreign investors and foreign exchange of dollars for colones.
Another large percentage of the economists surveyed believes that the main cause is actually the expansive policies of the United States Federal Reserve. At an international level, these policies are expected to continue until mid 2015, which would have further effect on the exchange rate.
Some of the respondents also believe that despite the fact that the export sector already absorbed part of the impact of the decrease in dollar value, one sector that will continue to be affected is the agribusiness export sector, which has less capability to react to the exchange rate.
For the time being, the problem does not seem to be reflected in overall export numbers. Exports in products in 2011 increased 21%, and in the first semester of 2012, export growth had already reached 22%.
October will see less rain this year
October 7th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica– The “El Nino” phenomenon is a quasi-periodic climate pattern that occurs across the Pacific Ocean roughly every five years. According to the National Meteorological Institute, the phenomenon will cause less rains in Costa Rica this “rainy season.”
September and October are usually considered the rainiest months of the year in Costa Rica.
Rebecca Morera, specialist at the National Meteorological Institute, explained that as usual, October will see more than other months of the year, but it will be less than the typical amount of rainfall usually seen in October.
Canadian airline announces new flights to Costa Rica
Posted: Tico Times Thursday, October 04, 2012 - By L. Arias
The company also will offer guided tours to beach and city destinations.
Canada’s Sunwing Airlines announced the launch of new flights to San José in addition to current flights to Liberia, provincial capital of the northwestern province of Guanacaste. Flights from Toronto, Ontario, will depart weekly on Fridays starting Dec. 21.
In a press release, the company said that due to the popularity and success of its Costa Rica program, it also will be offering vacation packages for destinations in Guanacaste, the Pacific province of Puntarenas and the capital, San José.
“We are delighted to add flights to Costa Rica,” said Andrew Dawson, president of tour operations. “Not only will travelers be able to enjoy vacation packages to beach resorts in the Central Pacific region, they will also be able to take advantage of affordable flights into San José to join independent tours beginning and ending in the city, as well as connect with flights to other Central American destinations,” he added.
Medical tourists to spend some $300 million in Costa Rica this year
Tico Times Thursday, October 04, 2012 - By L. Arias
Ninety percent of medical tourists come from the United States and Canada.
Data released this week by the Council for the International Promotion of Costa Rica Medicine (PROMED) indicate that 2012 will close with a figure of 45,000 foreign tourists who chose the country for some type of medical procedure.
Medical tourists, according to the report, pay some $7,000 for an average stay of 15 days, which represents an income of $300 million annually for the country. These tourists usually travel accompanied by at least one person, which increases travel expenses.
Regular tourists on average spend some $1,200 per visit, the report said.
PROMED said that 90 percent of medical tourism visitors come from the United States and Canada, attracted mainly by lower rates on services such as dentistry, plastic surgery and orthopedics.
These procedures can reach an average cost of $30,000, to which must be added additional costs, such as recovery therapies, nursing, food and others.
It is projected that by 2015, the U.S. will spend more than 20 percent of its annual gross domestic product on medical services.
Costa Rica’s service exports continues to grow
October 4th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica
The Costa Rican Foreign Trade department said yesterday that Costa Rica exported $2.92 billion in services during the first semester of this year, 12% more than the same period last year.
Service exports are those related to computers and information – such as software and digital animation, amongst others; as well as professional services such as payroll services, customer service, and human resource management.
Last year, service exports were $2.59 billion during the same period.
Anabel Gonzalez, Foreign Trade Minister, explained that the export in services has become very important and has shown continued growth in the Costa Rican economy. The sector continues to grow at a 9.5% average yearly increase. In 1999, service exports were $1.68 billion, and has quickly grown since, to $4.97 billion last year.The service sector in Costa Rica represents 32% of the country’s total
U.N. agency forecasts a 5 percent growth rate for Costa Rica
Oct. 3, 2012 By Aaron Knapp of the A.M. Costa Rica staff
An international assessment of Latin America’s economic status found that Costa Rica is among the countries with highest projected growths in 2012 of all nations in the region.
Researchers who compiled the report expect that Costa Rica will grow by about 5 percent in its gross domestic product this year.
At the beginning of the year, researchers expected that the economy of Latin America overall would grow by 3.7 percent, but they lowered that number to 3.2 in this report.
The report was created by a subsidiary of the United Nations called the Economic Commission for Latin America, also known as ECLAC or CEPAL in Spanish. Commission administrators released the study Tuesday at a conference that took place at their headquarters in Santiago, Chile.
The report mostly dwelled on why researchers had concluded that the economy of Latin America would not grow as much as they initially expected.
They laid the blame on three economic punches over the last four years that began in the global economic powerhouses of the United States, China and Europe and spread to other countries around the world. These difficulties were the global increase in food and fuel prices in 2008, the economic recession in late 2008 and 2009 and the international uncertainty that slowed the global economy late in 2011.
However, the researchers said in the report that increased private demand in most countries’ local markets have kept
economies progressing slowly but surely. Additionally, the study says that many governments initiated policies that have kept economies stable.
Overall, the report predicts that Central America will grow far more than the rest of Latin America. It indicates that the region will grow by 4.4 percent of its overall gross domestic product while South America will grow by 2.8 and the Caribbean by only 1.8.
Panamá is expected to lead the growth by far with 9.5 percent, followed by Haiti with 6 and Peru with 5.9. Nicaragua is also expected to grow at the same rate as Costa Rica at 5 percent.
The downgrade of Latin America’s expected economic growth overall is attributed to particularly a slow year in the regional commercial powerhouses of Brazil and Argentina. Additionally Paraguay is the only country that researchers expect to shrink this year, by 2 percent, because of an extremely poor soy harvest.
Costa Rica’s growth since 2010 has been fluctuating according to the study, falling from 4.7 that year to 4.2 in 2011. This year researchers expect that growth will shoot up again to 5 percent and then slow again next year to 4.
Researchers wrote in the report that they expect that most countries with higher than average growth this year to slow down next year, while those countries with less growth will speed up at the same time. This excludes Haiti, whose economy they expect to continue skyrocketing since it was devastated by an earthquake in 2010.
Hooters, Chili’s, Applebee's expanding in Costa Rica
Posted: Monday, October 01, 2012 - By Tico Times
A pair of foreign franchises opened their first restaurants in Costa Rica in the past month. Several other restaurants have announced plans to increase their number of locations.
Before the end of this year, Hooters will open its fourth Costa Rican restaurant – in Paseo Metrópoli in Cartago, east of San José. Owners invested $1 million in the location, according to El Financiero. The franchise hopes to double the number of Hooters in the country by 2014. The first Hooters opened in Escazú, in west San José, in 2005. In addition, Hooters plans to add a Costa Rican headquarters. The site will train employees, store food and standardize recipes. Hooters General Manager Veronica Caballero told El Financiero that construction on the site begins this month at a cost of $200,000. Hooters restaurants also plan to start offering frequent customer cards that provide discounts to clients.
In September, restaurant Chili’s and El Salvadoran sports bar BW Buffalo Wings opened their first Costa Rican locations.
The first Chili’s opened in Multiplaza Escazú. Chili’s announced plans to open a second franchise before the end of the year in Plaza Lincoln in Moravia, and five total in the next three years.
BW Buffalo Wings debuted last weekend in Plaza Tempo in shopping center Avenida Escazú, after an investment of $700.000. The restaurant plans to add four more franchises by 2014.
Applebee's signed a contract to start on a new restaurant in La Aurora in Heredia, El Financiero wrote.
The Tico Times reported in May on the influx of U.S. chains entering the country in the past couple of years. Some of the new franchises include Starbucks, Pollo Tropical, Smashburger, Carl’s Jr. and Moe’s Southwestern Grill.
Other long-time staples in Costa Rica include Subway, Quizno’s, McDonald’s, KFC and Teriyaki Experience. All continue opening stores.
Correction: The original story stated the U.S. franchise Buffalo Wild Wings is opening in Costa Rica Buffalo Wild Wings is not opening in Costa Rica. The El Salvadoran wing chain BW Buffalo Wings opened its first Costa Rican franchise in September. The story has been modified to reflect this change.
Expats 65 and older can get immigration amnesty
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Sept 17, 2012
Expats 65 years and older who have lived in Costa Rica illegally for five years or more can become legal residents under the current amnesty program.
That was the word Monday from Javier Zavaleta of Residency in Costa Rica. He provides a service for foreigners who wish to become residents here.
Zavaleta said his firm has studied the regulations that apply to the amnesty and discovered the loophole that might help North Americans. Until now the general belief was that the amnesty program was geared mainly to help Nicaraguans living here illegally become legal. There are several categories specified in the regulations that do not seem to apply to most expats. For example, persons under 25 who came to Costa Rica as children are eligible. Also eligible are parents of Costa Rican or resident children.
Already reported is that foreigners who let their residency lapse since 2003 could bring their paperwork up to date.
Zavaleta said that the deadline for filing for the amnesty programs is Nov. 17. He said the application is paperwork intensive, similar to that for pensionado and rentista applications. Birth certificates are required for each applicant as well as a police clearance letter from the overseas residence.
The Nicaraguan Embassy on Avenida Central has been flooded with citizens from that country seeking birth certificates and other documents to apply for residency. Also flooded has been the security ministry office that provides fingerprinting, which also is required.
The regulations released by the Dirección General de Migración do not specifically say a person 65 years or older.
The rules use the terms persona extranjera adulta mayor, which is generally accepted to be someone that age or older.
Costa Rica Makes Strong Presence at International Tourism Fairs
Sept 18, 2012 Emerging Terrains News
Article Summary:Original Article Text From Prensa Grafica via Google Translate :
Costa Rica will promote its natural attractions in 26 international tourism fairs in the next eight months, as the country tries to attract visitors and enter into new tourism markets.
The state Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) said in a statement that the fairs will be held in the United States, Canada, Spain, Germany, France, Holland, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Russia, Sweden and Belgium.
This “fair season” attend at least 89 representatives of Costa Rican tourism companies, in order to promote their products and services.
The Costa Rican Tourism Minister, Allan Flores, said international fairs represent a “great showcase” to promote Costa Rica as a tourist destination in key markets.
Miracles do happen: San Jose to get street signs
September 26th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica
Have trouble finding your way around San Jose? Well, it might get a little bit easier when tomorrow the municipality of San Jose begins to put up street signs to identify the streets and avenues of the city.
The municipality says the idea is to have a more precise and easier system to locate addresses in San Jose.
A total of 16,000 signs will be placed within the capital city.
Once the main roads are identified, buildings and homes will also be assigned numbers so that they can be more easily located.
The project was financed by the Banco Nacional and Banco de Costa Rica, and as such will carry the banks’ logos. The cost of the project will be 600 million colones (about $1.2 million USD).
Costa Rican president signs tax and Eurobonds laws
September 25, 2012 – Tico Times By Fernando Quirós
President Laura Chinchilla also announces a turnkey highway project.
Tuesday was a good day for President Laura Chinchilla and her National Liberation Party government. After a brief speech by Finance Minister Edgar Ayales, Chinchilla signed three tax and finance bills into law.
The first two, the Fiscal Transparency Bill and the Bill for Strengthening Tax Administration, are aimed at providing better government access to taxpayers’ financial information, closing tax loopholes, putting in place stronger sanctions to force better cooperation with tax authorities, and getting Costa Rica off the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's “gray list” of countries not up to First World standards in international sharing of tax information.
The last of the three new laws is the Eurobonds Bill, to allow the Costa Rican government to issue up to $4 billion in dollar-denominated 10-year bonds, to obtain financing from the Eurodollar market.
Vice President Luis Liberman, back from a recent trip to China, had good infrastructure news for Costa Rica. The Chinese government has agreed to finance and build a widening of a 237-kilometer stretch of Route 32, the highway linking San José and the Atlantic port of Limón. The two-lane stretch of highway between Rio Frío and Limón has for years been inadequate for the heavy container truck traffic generated by 80 percent of Costa Rica’s exports and imports channeled through Limón port.
The government, constrained in infrastructure spending by its fiscal deficit problem, has negotiated this project as the best way to address what has become not only a commercial but a public safety problem.
Ultra-broadband Internet coming to Costa Rica in 2013
September 26th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica – Tired of slow Internet service? Well, RACSA says they will soon introduce ultra-broadband, fiber-optic Internet service in Costa Rica – with speeds that reach the Gigabit range. This comes after an agreement between RACSA and the Swedish company, ViaEuropa.
The fiber optic network is expected to be ready by January 2013, although statements did not reveal what areas of the country would be included in the initial rollout. Costa Rica would become the first country in Latin America offer such a service.
In addition to consumers, businesses and corporate campuses will benefit from the availability of ultra-broadband service. Orlando Cascante, general manager for RACSA, said the service would also pave the way for new services such as television over IP.
President Laura Chinchilla said the fiber optic network was another step towards developed status for the country, and will allow Costa Rica to continue moving towards a service-based economy.
Consumers and businesses can pre-register for the service now, at www.racsa.co.cr. Rates and speed options are expected to be announced soon.
RIU to Open Its First RIU Palace in Costa Rica
September 24th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica – / Based on Press Release / – On November 2nd of this year RIU Hotels & Resorts will open its second hotel in Costa Rica and the first of the Riu Palace luxury range: the Riu Palace Costa Rica. This elegant resort will be situated in the region of Guanacaste, just next to the Riu Guanacaste hotel. Within three years of opening, this hotel has become one of the favorites amongst RIU guests. Testimony to this is the recent ‘Crystal Apple Award’ for the ‘Best Staff and Service’ in Central America awarded by the major US tour operator, Apple Vacations, thanks to the opinions of its guests. The Riu Palace Costa Rica extends and complements the range of hotels RIU has to offer in the destination with its luxury service and facilities.
Situated on the seafront, the Riu Palace Costa Rica will offer 538 rooms with free Wi-Fi internet and 24 hour room service. The luxurious 5 star resort will boast four pools, one of which will have a swim-up bar and a children’s pool, as well as a miniclub for kids and entertainment programmes operating day and night. The resort also includes the street ‘El Poblado’ where guests will find boutiques, a kiosk, souvenirs and photographic shop, as well as a fully equipped Renova Spa where guests can enjoy free use of the gym, sauna and jacuzzi. On the same street, you will find the casino, the ‘Pacha’ nightclub and the complex’s Conference Centre.
New Traffic Laws for Costa Rica
September 19th, 2012 – The new traffic law (Le de Transito) has been approved in 2nd debate, and therefore, traffic fines will be changed once again.
The most expensive tickets will be for reckless driving, illegal overtaking, invasion of lanes, and driving under the influence of drugs or drunk driving. These will each result in a fine of 280,000 colones (approximately $560). Authorities say these infractions are responsible for up to 75% of the deaths and serious injuries that occur on Costa Rican roadways.
Seven other infractions will carry a fine of 189,000 ($378) colones. These include running a red light or not respecting a stop sign, and exceeding the speed limit by 40km/hour or more, among others. The remaining 90 infractions will have fines that vary between 20,000 ($40) and 94,000 ($187) colones.
The alcohol limit for drunk driving will also be lowered for “professional drivers” as well as “inexperienced” motorists. Professional drivers are those who drive buses, taxis, and heavy vehicles, among others and Inexperienced drivers are those who have possessed a driver’s license for less than 3 years.
These two classes of drivers will receive a fine when found to have over 0.2 grams of alcohol per liter of blood, and are penalized with jail when this amount is over 0.5 grams.
For other motorists, the fine will be applied when having more than 0.5 grams of alcohol and will be penalized with jail when the amount is over 0.75 grams of alcohol per liter of blood.
Not known is how the law may apply to foreigners who have possessed a Costa Rican driver’s license for less than three years.
Costa Rica ranks 42nd in World Economic Freedom Index
September 19th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica – Costa Rica obtained a 7.3 grade out of on a 1 to 10 scale in the most recent world economic freedom report. The country ranked in 42nd place, amongst 144 participating countries. Those judged to have the most economic freedom were Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Australia, whereas Angola, Congo, Zimbabwe, Birmania and Venezuela ranked lowest.
The world average was 6.83, compared to 6.79 last year.
The study is produced by the Washington Cato Institute and the Fraser Institute in Canada, and uses data from two years ago. As such, the current study is based on data from 2010.
The United States ranked in 18th place, 10 spots lower than last year and behind countries such as Denmark, Ireland, Finland and Estonia. Among the most common variables that the study uses is the size of government, legal system, property rights, freedom of foreign trade, freedom from corruption, and regulations to open new businesses. In Latin America, Chile is in 1st place.
Costa Rica largest importer and exporter in Central America
September 17th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica – The Secretariat of the Central American Economic Integration council reports that Central America’s exports were valued at $10.5 billion dollars during the first four months of the year.
This figure is almost 7 percent higher than that recorded a year ago. The category that most contributed to buoyant sales were coffee, tea, fruit, appliances and electrical equipment, and sugar.
In that period, Costa Rica was the Central America’s largest exporter, with $3.8 billion dollars in exports, as well as the region’s largest importer, importing some $5.5 billion dollars in goods.
The intelligence director of PROCOMER, Francisco Gamboa, explained that in the early months of the year the country was able to increase its sales despite difficult international economic conditions.
The main export destinations of the region during the period January-April 2012 were the United States, other countries in Central America, the European Union and Mexico. Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are the countries that follow Costa Rica in export quantity.
The United States remains the region’s largest trading partner.
Costa Rica seeks technology investors in Chicago
September 18th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica – Representatives from the Foreign Trade Ministry (COMEX, in Spanish) and the Coalition Initiative for Development (CINDE) arrived in Chicago yesterday, promoting the country as a competitive destination for foreign companies in the technology sector.
Anabel Gonzalez, Minister of COMEX, will be attending four meetings with companies in the life sciences sector, which already have operations in the country.
Today, CINDE is organizing a breakfast meeting with 30 investors and consultant firms. The minister will be exposing the competitive advantages of Costa Rica and the significant evolution of its high technology industry.
Gonzalez emphasized the position that Costa Rica obtained in the latest competitiveness ranking.
The tour adds to the list of promotional efforts made by Costa Rica to attract direct foreign investment this year. In 2012, promotional events and visits to companies in China, Korea, India, Germany, North Carolina and now Chicago, have been made.
CINDE landed 34 investment projects in 2011, of which, along with established companies who expanded their operations, generated 7,700 new jobs.
New regulation forces banks to quickly resolve complaints
September 19th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica – A bank client should have to wait no longer then 2 weeks to receive an answer regarding a complaint, according to new regulation that came into effect last month. Banks must now also offer complete information regarding the prices of the services that they offer.
According to the regulation, all complaints must now be resolved within ten business days.
If by the 9th day, the bank has not resolved the issue, it must inform the client that the matter will take additional time. All banks must also have information on their websites regarding commissions for services such as payment of public services, transfers, account fees, and debit and credit card fees, amongst others. The majority of banks already comply with this measure.The regulation provides a 6-month period, which began last month, for all financial institutions to adopt the new standards.
Costa Ricans also felt the pain of September 11th
9/11 2012 Inside Costa Rica
In the early 1970’s, a Costa Rican man, Roberto Sevilla, left his country to follow his dream of living in the United States. He did not miss a single detail of the inauguration of the magical Twin Towers in 1972 (North Tower) and 1973 (South Tower). Soon afterwards, he started working in the World Trade Center, where he became a supervisor in an office supply company.
The day of the attacks Roberto happened to be in the basement in one of the towers where he worked. He was having his morning coffee while reading The New York Times, when he suddenly heard a huge roar. He quickly got up, and tried to reach the building lobby, which became a very difficult task, as he found himself suffering from a sudden asthma attack. When he finally made it to the lobby, and went outside, he could not believe what his eyes were seeing: dozens of bodies falling from above…
Roberto ran that day as he had never run before. A few blocks down, he saw as a second plane crashed against the South Tower, and, a little bit further down, watched as the offices where he worked for so many years fell to the ground.
On this day in 2001, the iconic Twin Towers were destroyed at the hands of terrorists. The Pentagon was seriously damaged, and a total of almost 3,000 people died, and nearly 6,000 were injured. The entire world was shaken, scared, and stunned by the horrifying event.
The feeling was shared in the heart of the Costa Ricans. Watching those two planes crash against the mighty Twin Towers, seeing how dozens of people jumped from above, and the way those two buildings, in a matter of seconds, collapsed into the ground, still gives Costa Ricans a feeling of anguish that weighs heavily in their hearts.
Two Costa Ricans lost their loved ones in this sad event. Sylvia Loria Quiros, married to Kevin Connors, an American who worked on the 84th floor of the South Tower, was one of them. Kevin’s body was buried in the debris. His body was never found. The other was Gladys Meza, the mother of a brave police officer, Jerome Dominguez. Jerome was an officer working for the New York Emergency Unit, and, although he was working in another emergency at the time, the moment he found out about the incident, he quickly moved to the scene in order to help. Police officers who survived say that Jerome did not want to abandon the buildings, even after orders were given to do so.
Other Costa Ricans were close to the event, some closer than others. Karla Pericon, who worked on the 11th floor in the North Tower was in her office when the first plane crashed. She was able to leave the building safely.
Pilar Madrigal, who was working for CINDE ( Costa Rican Coalition Initiative for Development) , was travelling in the subway train when the first explosion occurred. She got off the train one station before her final destination, the World Trade Center, as someone on the speaker said something like “smoke in the Twin Towers block.” As she came out from the station, she watched in complete astonishment as the second plane crashed against the South Tower.
Like them, many other Costa Ricans suffered from the events of 9/11 in other ways. 11 years ago, an approximate 60,000 Ticos lived in New York. A year later, 3,000 families had abandoned the country and returned to Costa Rica for fear of more attacks.
Many lives have been changed and scarred for life. Some have been more affected than others. However, 11 years later, there is still a general feeling across the country in regards to these events – Costa Ricans become sad, scared, and angry when 9/11 is mentioned.
Today, Costa Ricans and U.S. citizens will gather at a small park in Sabana Norte to mark the tragedy that changed their lives.
The Marine Corps League will be conducting a ceremony at 11 a.m., in which United States embassy staff will be attending, as well as members of veteran groups.
The park, called ”11 de Setiembre” was named after the date of the tragic event. It is located 200 meters north of Subway, east of the ICE building.
Foreign Investment in Costa Rica continues to Grow
Tico Times September 07, 2012 - By Fernando Quirós
Costa Rica has had great success in attracting corporate foreign direct investment.FDI is projected by CINDE, the very successful nongovernmental organization in charge of investment promotion, to grow 7 percent in 2012 and fulfill the Central Bank’s target of $2.25 billion for this year.
This country’s well-oiled FDI promotion machine is so successful that the Financial Times Group’s FDI Intelligence Unit named Costa Rica the “Best Country of the Future for Foreign Direct Investment in Central America and the Caribbean” in its “FDI Countries of the Future” report for 2011-2012. The bulk of corporate FDI investment is high-tech and in industrial parks, with favorable tax treatment and simplified regulatory requirements.
This new business start-up success at the corporate-exporter level is all well and good. Unfortunately, there is a huge gap in Costa Rica between the well-paved regulatory highway that CINDE and the government have set up for deep-pocketed foreign companies, and the pothole-filled obstacle course that ordinary Costa Ricans who just want to start up a mechanic’s shop or a restaurant are forced to navigate.
On the World Bank’s “Doing Business” rankings, which measure the ease or difficulty of the nuts and bolts of starting and growing a business for ordinary citizens – things like legally incorporating, registering property, dealing with construction permits, enforcing contracts – Costa Rica ranks 121st of 183 countries. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Costa Rica ranks 25th out of 32 countries, behind every other Central American country except Honduras.
These figures only confirm what is obvious to anyone who tries to get business done here: Costa Rica is drowning in red tape. So how can ordinary Ticos, as well as entrepreneurial expats, better deal with the maze of requirements that gets in the way of starting businesses and creating jobs?
Laura Chinchilla’s National Liberation Party administration has started a low-key project to apply technology to help get government off ordinary citizens’ and entrepreneurs’ backs. Called the Digital Government project, it is operationally a division of ICE, the country’s power and telecommunications utility, but answers to a government commission presided over by Chinchilla.
The project seeks to leverage the information technology expertise of ICE to put as many government processes online as possible. The basic building block, the “digital signature,” is already developed.
This is a card with a chip on it, which is inserted into a reader connected to a computer. Anyone who has downloaded pictures from a photo data card to a computer using a USB card reader will recognize the set-up.
Although the card is called a “signature,” a “digital cédula” (the ubiquitous national ID card required for any transaction in Costa Rica) would be a more accurate description. Each digital cédula is unique and personal for its owner, whether a person or a company, and is protected by a pin number which must be typed in, along with the card computer connection, to log in and do online transactions. The cards are issued by banks, two state-owned (Banco Nacional and Banco Popular) and two private (BAC San José and Banco BCT).
Digital cédulas are already in use by banks for clients that move large amounts of money electronically. For chartering companies, an online system for notaries (lawyers) is already being implemented, with the idea of future expansion so that ordinary citizens can track progress of their paperwork.
The government’s goal is to set up and activate a company in 20 days.
For individuals, no end of online transactions is planned: residence permits and cédulas, passports, drivers’ licenses. For municipal governments, ICE is working on putting construction permits, business permits (patentes) and activity zoning (uso de suelo) processes online.
One Digital Government project, On- Time Positive Silence, definitely cuts in favor of ordinary citizens and businesspersons. In March 2002, Costa Rica passed law 8,220, the Law for Protection of Citizens against Excessive Requirements and Administrative Processes. Article 7 of this law introduces the concept of Positive Silence: that once all paperwork is presented, the government authorization requested will be deemed granted if the government institution does not respond within three days.This potentially game-changing law, which makes approval the default outcome if the organization does not respond (Positive Silence), has been a dead letter because ordinary citizens cannot drag a notary around to certify presentation of every paper required in bureaucratic processes. But if presentation is online, digitally documented by means of a digital cédula, the government authorization game could change radically in favor of ordinary citizens.
Costa Rica Receives Recognition Award for Protecting the Ozone Layer September 2nd, 2012 The Costa Rica News In August, the Ozone Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Program gave Costa Rica a recognition award for the protection of the ozone layer, as part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty that seeks to protect the earth’s Ozone layer by decreasing the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances.
Costa Rica has earned this distinction by being actively involved in the processes of reduction of theses substances. This has been accomplished thanks to the changes that have been implemented in the production systems as well as the changes in legislation controlling ozone depleting substances.
For instance, in December 2009, Costa Rica implemented an import licensing system which has lead to the complete elimination of chlorofluorocarbon use.
In addition, through the use of alternative technologies, Costa Rica has managed to reduce the use of methyl bromide, a substance used in agriculture, primarily for soil fumigation. The country plans to completely eliminate the use of this chemical by the end of this year.
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete de Ozone Layer was created on September 16th, 1987. With 197 parties, it is the most widely ratified treaty in United Nations history,
and have, to date, enabled reductions of over 97% of all global consumption of controlled ozone depleting substances, as reported in the official website of the UN Environment Program.For more information visit http://ozone.unep.org
Costa Rica’s competitiveness rating up 4 spots
September 7th, 2012 Inside Costa Rica
The Global Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum placed Costa Rica in the 57th spot, up a few spots from the last study where the country ranked 61st.
The United States scored 7th, Hong Kong, 9th, and Japan earned the number 10 spot.
According to the report, Costa Rica must resolve the bad shape if its roads, bridges, and general transportation infrastructure, which the report describes as poor. Other weak areas, according to the report, is the availability of commercial financing and the processes required to start a new business in the country.
In reaching their conclusions, the Economic Forum analyzed the potential for growth and prosperity of each country. In Costa Rica’s case, it was recognized for its improvements in macro economic conditions, as it decreased the internal shortage of money and lowered its level of debt. The Forum also highlighted Costa Rica’s increased use of Information technologies and its capacity for innovation.
Switzerland tops the list
According to the competitiveness ranking, Switzerland is the leader, followed by Singapore and Finland. This is the 4th year in which Switzerland ranks first place. Countries in Europe, Germany, and the United Kingdom occupy the top 10 places.
In regards to Latin American countries , Chile occupies the 33rd spot, Brazil 48 and Mexico 53. In Central America, Panama stands out with a ranking of 40, and the rest have less favorable spots such as Guatemala, 84th place, El Salvador, number 101, Honduras, 90, and Nicaragua, 108.
Why wasn't this Quake more Destructive?
Inside Costa Rica September 6th, 2012 -
At 8:42 yesterday morning, while a few were still sleeping, others in school and many at work, a strong earthquake shook the Costa Rican land. Many ran out of their houses, while others stayed put, not sure of what to do. Mothers picked up their children, trying to keep them safe, and neighbors gathered in the safest locations they could find. Costa Ricans describe the earthquake as “extremely long and very strong,” and, although the population is familiar with earthquakes, it unnerved the country, nonetheless.
Despite what appears to be limited damage, the powerful quake has rattled both Costa Ricans, tourists and foreigners who have relocated in the country.
But Costa Rica suffered remarkably little damage from yesterday’s earthquake – a few blocked highways, some collapsed houses and two deaths, one of a heart attack caused by fright and another from trauma, and approximately 20 injured (according to the CR Red Cross), none of whom were Americans (according to American Embassy).
The earthquake lasted 1 minute and 10 seconds, and was of 7.6 magnitude in the Richter scale. The quake was 25 miles below the surface, and was followed by 3 strong aftershocks of magnitudes above 4.
Why is it that an earthquake of this magnitude caused so little damage in Costa Rica?
If the conditions of the earthquake itself seem to be so similar, why is it that in Costa Rica, the damages were so few in comparison to Haiti 2010?
Well, to begin with, tremors that occur deep underground tend to be less damaging, but their shaking can be felt over a wider area. Costa Rica’s earthquake was 25 miles below the surface, while Haiti was only 8.1
The relatively little damage was also due to strict building codes in Costa Rica, a country that has long enjoyed more stability, better governance and stronger economic development than many of its Central American neighbors, and certainly, than Haiti.
Olman Vargas, president of the National College of Architecture said, “ we have a culture of concrete and steel. Years ago we abandoned building in mud and adobe, something that’s caused a lot of problems and that they’re continuing in other countries.”
Costa Rica’s anti-earthquake structural codes have been updated in line with the latest international standards three times since they were enacted in 1974, most recently last year.
“I can assure you we comply with all global standards- the same as in California and Japan, places well known for their high tectonic activity,” added Vargas.
About 500.000 American tourists travel to Costa Rica each year, according to the US State Department, adding to the tens of thousands of retirees who have relocated here. Choosing to live, work, and retire abroad always entails weighing pros and cons. But the stakes are higher when Mother Nature strikes in the form of hurricanes or earthquakes.
Most expatriates choose to stay put despite natural disasters, as will likely be the case of Costa Rica. In a way, many feel that the minor damage and clearly good constructions have made them feel more secure.
Major morning quake rattles nation
Sept. 5, 2012 A.M. Costa Rica staff .
A major quake estimated locally at 7.6 magnitude took place at 8:45 a.m. today, Wednesday, near Sámara on the west shore of the Nicoya Peninsula, the region where more quakes are reported
than any other.
The quake was of long duration, perhaps as much as 30 seconds. The quake was felt strongly all over the country. Lesser quakes followed. There were no initial reports of serious damage.
The estimate of a magnitude by the U.S. National Earthquake center was 7.6. That agency said the quake was just 41 kilometers deep, some 25.4 miles. Shallower quakes generally cause more earth movement on the surface.
The Central Pacific area felt it, but little damage is reported.
Some communications failed in the Central Valley, perhaps due to thousands of persons being on cellphones and land lines.
The U.S. center said the epicenter was 53 kilometers (95 miles) west of San José.
There were reports of some damage even in the Central Valley where many homes suffered at least falling objects. There were reports of trees falling elsewhere. Initial reports from the Nicoya peninsula were delayed due to communication failure. There were some reports of small landslides.
Tsunami warnings were posted briefly for areas along the Pacific then quickly withdrawn.
Costa Rica-Canada Free Trade Agreement updated
Tuesday, September 04, 2012 - By Tico Times
Costa Rica’s Foreign Trade Ministry expects to complete negotiations by mid-September.
Costa Rica and Canada finished a fifth round of negotiations to modernize a free trade agreement between the two countries.
Last week, foreign trade officials from the two governments reached agreements on technical barriers to trade, provisions, objectives, administration of the treaty, financial services, government purchases and customs procedures.
They also completed chapters on cooperative agreements, monopolies and state enterprises, and an agreement on telecommunications and investment is almost ready, pending review.
Issues on market access, tariff elimination for products from free zones, more flexible rules for textiles and Canada’s interest in greater market access for agricultural products are still being discussed.
“There are very few pending issues, and our plan is to finish them during a meeting in mid-September,” said Costa Rican Foreign Trade Vice Minister Fernando Ocampo.
The free trade agreement between Costa Rica and Canada was implemented in 2002. Since then, total trade between the countries has increased from $102 million to $273 million in 2011, a cumulative increase of 168 percent.
Amazon opens third operations center in Costa Rica
Aug. 31, 2012 Inside Costa Rica
Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) opened its third call center operation here in Costa Rica with a fresh supply of 300 new jobs to service several countries including Spain as well as Portuguese-speaking countries.
The inauguration was attended by President Laura Chinchilla; the foreign trade minister, Anabel Gonzalez, and Gabriela Llobet from the Coalition for Development Initiates, known by its Spanish acronym, CINDE.
Amazon Inc.’s Vice President of Customer Service expressed the satisfaction the online retailer has found with its existing operations in Costa Rica.
Further Amazon operations serving other markets are expected in the future
Costa Rica celebrates National Parks Day
August 31, 2012 – Tico Times By Hannah J. Ryan
Twenty-five percent of Costa Rica’s land is protected, thanks to conservation efforts that have created 28 national parks, including Carara National Park, the northernmost region of Costa Rica’s Pacific rain forest.
Aug. 24 was National Parks Day in Costa Rica, and numerous protected areas celebrated significant anniversaries. Manuel Antonio National Park, on the central Pacific coast, and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, in the Tilarán Mountains in north-central Costa Rica, marked their 40th birthdays, while La Amistad International Park, in southern Costa Rica, turned 30.Costa Rica has 126 protected areas. Of those, 28 are national parks and three have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. These areas encompass 25 percent of the country’s total landmass.
To commemorate National Parks Day, the United States National Park Service and Costa Rica’s National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) renewed a memorandum outlining projects within national parks and protected areas. A press release from SINAC said the agreement also includes cooperation in fire management, adaptation to climate change and the development of public educational information on the preservation of biodiversity and cultural heritage.
“This kind of cooperation between the U.S. and Costa Rica is not new, our relationship dates back decades,” said U.S. Ambassador Anne S. Andrew. “In a visit to Juan Castro Blanco National Park, I learned that the U.S. Agency for International Development had a role in the development of this and other parks. The U.S. continues as a partner in preserving forests of Costa Rica through the Law of Conservation of Tropical Forests.”
The signing of the memorandum resumes collaboration established May 9, 1997, during a visit by U.S. President Bill Clinton to Costa Rica. At the time, Clinton signed the Declaration of Braulio Carrillo, which established a framework for cooperation between SINAC and the National Park Service.The history of cooperation between SINAC and the U.S. National Park System dates from the 1960s and ’70s, when two young Costa Rican students – Álvaro Ugalde and Mario Boza – traveled to the U.S. to work and study with the National Park Service. These partnerships have identified conservation priorities such as the need to protect bird species that migrate each year from the Rockies to Costa Rica.
Costa Rica Exports Increased 10% This Year
August 21, 2012 Inside Costa Rica
Costa Rican exports grew 10% during the first seven months of the year as compared to the same period in 2011, with total exports of US$6.74 billion dollars.
The sectors with the largest exports growth are livestock and fisheries, agriculture and manufacturing.
According to the Promotora de Comercio Exterior (PROCOMER) - Foreign Trade Promoter - from January to July of this year, exports to China have grown 107%, as Costa Rica sends to the Asian nation electronic components for microprocessors, orange pulp, electrical cables, wood and fruit juices and concentrates, among others.
"We seek to promote greater use of the trade agreement which is opening the doors to other products, such as meat and dairy products," said Foreign Trade Minister, Anabel González.
Livestock and fisheries exports grew 19.2% this year over last, while the manufacturing sector saw an increase of 12.9% in exports. Pineapple exports say only a 0.8% increase.
North America continues to be the main destination for Costa Rican goods, with 42% of all exports going to the United States and Canada, while 18.% when to Europe, 13.8% to other Central American countries and 13% to Asia.
Courtyard by Marriott Opens Second Hotel in Costa Rica
August 14, 2012 -
Marriott International announced today that the new hotel Courtyard San Jose Airport , located five minutes from Juan Santamaria International Airport, has opened its doors to the public.The 127-room hotel is the second Courtyard by Marriott in San Jose and has a modern lobby follows the brand concept of Courtyard by Marriott Refreshing Business (business and relaxation), where travelers will have free access to wi -fi and find spaces easily adaptable to work, socialize or relax.
The design, construction, operation and maintenance of the hotel are fully sustainable for the property gaining certification LEED , which means that the hotel will have an energy saving of 18% savings in water consumption by 35%, use of 30% regional materials and renewable energy use 5% (through solar panels to preheat water). To commemorate the opening, the hotel is offering its standard room at a price of $ 93 plus tax. The promotion is available for travel between August 11 and December 31, 2012, using the key reserve MR5.
Each of the 127 rooms, including five suites, offers free high speed internet, modern workspace, safe, LCD televisions and linens of high quality.
The Courtyard San Jose Airport is located just minutes from the Juan Santamaria International Airport and offer free shuttle service to and from the airport. The hotel features five meeting rooms, all located on the first floor of the property, rooms for disabled guests, parking itself, pool, fitness center with the latest technology, and a screen "Go Board" in the lobby where guests may check the status of their flights, the news and weather on destination traveling.
"The opening of this fantastic new hotel demonstrates our commitment to Costa Rica and reflects the popularity and brand recognition Courtyard by Marriott offers style, comfort and quality service at an affordable price," said Rob Steigerwald, Chief Operations Officer of Marriott International for the Americas. Marriott International operates six hotels in Costa Rica under four different brands: Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels, Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn. All are designed by Zürcher Architects, a Costa Rican firm.
U.S. franchise to invest $40 million in new Costa Rica hotel
August 20, 2012 - By Tico Times
A Las Vegas-style 24-hour casino will be built in Escazú.
Sonesta Collection Group this month began the main construction of its first hotel in Costa Rica (and their first in Central America), expected to open by the second half of 2013.
The company earmarked an investment of $40 million for the hotel, which will have 171 rooms and will be located near Multiplaza Escazú, southwest of the capital.
The new facilities will include three bars, two restaurants, and a Las Vegas-style casino, said Johnathan Raineau, president of the new Sonesta Hotel Casino Escazú. “The idea is to offer the visitor different entertainment alternatives: disco and lounge bars with DJ music, live latin music at the disco and a 24-hour casino,” he said. The company has 15 hotels in the U.S., 15 in Latin America and 13 in Egypt.
Arrivals Increase 7.4% Over Last Year
August 2012 Inside Costa Rica
In the first six months of the year a total of 1.285.599 arrived in Costa Rica by air, sea and land. The number of arrivals is an increase of 7.4% over the same period last year. The Liberia airport in Guanacaste saw the largest increase in arrivals, 26% over last year.
The San José airport had 655.000 arrivals of the 900.000 (70%) of all arrivals by air according to the immigration service figures .
The majority of the arrivals were from North America, representing some 610.000 arrivals, most of them for tourism purposes.
Forging new ties with China
August 17, 2012 By Matt Levin and Laianer Arias for The Tico Times, Andrés Bermúdez of AFP
In Costa Rica’s second official visit to China, Chinchilla has been on a mission to show the Chinese how serious her country takes its blossoming relationship with the Asian powerhouse.
A week into the trip, Chinchilla can boast several major investments. After the meeting with Chinese president, the countries finalized accords on the topics of education, business, security, agriculture, aviation and infrastructure. China agreed to construct a $25 million police academy for Costa Rica and donate 4,800 computers for students and teachers. The Chinese government also gifted $8 million for Costa Rica to use at its own discretion.
The leaders also discussed building a large industrial park inside a Costa Rican free zone, a move that would put more investment dollars into the Central American country and give China a hub in the region for producing and selling its products.
Costa Rica remains the only country in Central America to establish diplomatic ties with China, after former President Oscar Arias severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2007. Arias traveled to China in 2010. Two years later, Chinchilla’s eight-day tour serves to bolster those ties.
Costa Rica is looking to become a model for Chinese companies that export to developing nations. “We believe that Costa Rica has the best conditions to become the main logistics platform site for Chinese investment in the Western Hemisphere,” Chinchilla said at the end of a business and investment forum in Beijing earlier in the week. To achieve this, the Costa Rican government plans to build a tax-free industrial park for Chinese firms, which could guarantee them commercial advantages in developing markets, thanks to a network of trade agreements signed by the Central American country.
Costa Rica, the third country in Latin America to sign a free trade agreement with China, has found benefits from the deal elusive. But the industrial park could be a solution for how both sides could profit from the pact. One of the models studied by the Costa Rican delegation during the visit was at the Suzhou Industrial Park. The business center was established in 1994 through a joint effort between the governments of China and Singapore, and the park houses more than 4,000 foreign enterprises.
Special Economic Zones have been an integral part of China’s economic model to maintain high growth rates in recent decades, and Chinchilla highlighted her government’s interest in replicating the model.
With the construction of the industrial park, Costa Rica would further enhance its own system of free zones, which process 50 percent of Costa Rican exports. “The model of free zones has been quite successful in terms of exports, job creation and technology transfer, but we view further innovation as essential for growth. We want to promote a greater linkage between industrial parks and the academic sector,” Costa Rican Foreign Trade Minister Anabel González said.
The Suzhou complex, said the minister, includes 23 research and development centers for industrial production. Traditionally, businesses from China have been reluctant to settle in foreign countries if they cannot hire Chinese labor, but the Chinchilla government seeks to take advantage of Beijing’s latest five-year plan to internationalize their countries.
“China is encouraging its companies to go abroad, while Costa Rica has free trade agreements with Canada, United States, Europe and several Latin American countries. As Chinese companies set up their production facilities [in Costa Rica], the two countries will benefit,” said Chai Yu, of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who will lead a mission of professors and businesses to San José in September.
Promoting Chinese investment in Costa Rica also makes sense after China this week named the Central American country the host of a China Business Summit in Latin America in 2014. On the issue of security, China agreed to fund the construction of a National Police Academy in Costa Rica for an estimated $25 million. The academy will be located in the Caribbean canton of Pococí, and investment could reach $25 million. The donation is similar to the construction of Costa Rica’s National Stadium – a $100 million gift from China – in which a Chinese company will build the facility, and once completed, it will be officially donated to the Public Security Ministry. On the second day of her Asia tour, Chinchilla expressed her gratitude to China, saying the construction “is something we’ve long waited for.”
The Costa Rican government also continues to negotiate investment terms with China’s oil industry for a much-needed refinery upgrade. At start of the trip, representatives from the Costa Rican company GreenerSys signed an agreement with Chinese company GeSolar to build a solar power plant.
Chinchilla said on Monday she was pleased with the negotiations. “This is an excellent example of how we can unite the strengths of both countries to develop projects of mutual benefit,” she said.
The president and her entourage also spoke at a forum on trade, investment and tourism in Costa Rica, organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Costa Rican officials.
Chinchilla leaves to Seoul for a two-day tour of South Korea, also focused on promoting investment.
The Costa Rican delegation will return home next week.
Tax revenues increase in Costa Rica, while Government spending slows
Posted by Marcel Evans on August 17, 2012 in Costa Rica Star
In the first 7 months of 2012 revenue increased by 11.3%, but government spending continues to increase at a rate of 9.6% growth, just below the 10.4% recorded in the same period in 2011.
A statement from the Ministry of Finance of Costa Rica reads:
-The fiscal deficit persists despite efforts to increase revenue and reduce expenses.
-Eurobonds are still a necessary source of funding.
Tax revenues continued to grow steadily in July, supported mainly on the strength of the income tax and general sales tax. In the first seven months of the year tax revenues increased by 11.3% compared to the same period last year, while revenue from income tax and sales tax grew by 13.4% and 14%.
On the other hand, central government expenditure through July, is slowing down, with growth of 9.6% compared to the same period in 2011. This slowdown is despite strong growth in current transfers to the public sector (10.2%), mainly explained by the resources transferred to the Social Security Department throughout the year. In contrast, the category of salaries is under control with a growth of 8.8%, reflecting the conservative increase in public wages the first half of the year.
Wendy's Expands
Aug 17, 2012 AM Costa Rica
The fast food chain, Wendy’s confirmed the opening of six new restaurants in the San Jose metropolitan area between 2012 and 2013. Food courts at the Multiplaza (Escazu) and Lincoln Plaza (Moravia) malls will also receive Wendy’s restaurants. The franchise expects to have a total of 15 to 16 locations in Costa Rica by the close of 2013.
Costa Rican inflation: The 2007 breakthrough
August 03, 2012 - By Fernando Quirós Tico Times
Costa Rica is now operating in an inflation range that was an impossible dream for two generations.
Inflation in Costa Rica is more than double the rate in the United States. But the Costa Rican economy is expected to grow more than twice as fast as the U.S. economy. Economists partially attribute the success to a 2007 Central Bank decision to float the colón. Source: Prof. Rudolf Lucke, Institute for Investigation in Economic Sciences, UCR
Overall inflation in Costa Rica for 2012 has varied from 4.6 to 5.1 percent in April, May and June, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) annual forecast. If there are no extraordinary changes in the economy, inflation should continue in this range for the rest of the year.
By comparison, U.S. inflation was at a 1.7 percent annual rate in June. Costa Rica has more than twice the U.S. inflation rate, but the Tico economy should grow more than twice as fast as the U.S. economy this year – a trade-off any entrepreneur will take.
On Tuesday, the Central Bank forecast growth for 2012 at 4.8 percent, higher than previous estimates of 3.8 percent.
Despite inflation numbers that are high in relation to the U.S. economy, Costa Rica is now operating in an inflation range that was an impossible dream for two generations.
Before 2007, the Central Bank would have broken out the champagne if overall price increases could be kept to less than double digits in any given year.
In 2007, the Central Bank changed its method for fixing the exchange rate, from a predictable, mini-devaluation scheme- to floating the colón and letting private buyers and sellers of dollars determine the exchange rate. To be sure, it’s a “dirty float,” with the Central Bank setting exchange rate floors and ceilings that trigger its intervention if the exchange rate gets too low or too high.
But so far, the rate has been more or less stable since 2007, with Central Bank intervention only on the low end of its target range: {500 to the dollar.
But at the time the Central Bank made the change to a floating exchange rate, it looked like a gamble – after 24 years, from 1983 to 2007, the economy had become accustomed to the relatively predictable mini-devaluations. During those years, total yearly devaluation averaged 11 percent.
What happened to cause the Central Bank to want to fix a system that wasn’t broken? In hindsight, based on success with the floating colón, it would seem that the Central Bank was telling Costa Rica’s exporters that, after 24 years of coddling them with steady devaluation to make exports more competitive, it would now seek to stabilize the exchange rate and concentrate on what should be the No. 1 goal of every central bank: exchange stability with low inflation.
In an open economy like Costa Rica’s, where exports and imports total more than 60 percent of gross domestic product, an 11 percent devaluation every year builds a big fraction of that into increased money supply (as exporters change dollars into colones to pay their local production costs), and the full devaluation rate increase into the price of imports. No wonder the country struggled to crack a 10 percent minimum inflation rate in those years when devaluation averaged 11percent.
What emboldened the Central Bank to float the colón in 2007? Most likely, the answer is changes in the Costa Rican economy. A generation ago, the big dollar earners for Costa Rica were coffee, sugar, bananas and beef – all agricultural commodities, in which Costa Rica competed on a price-only basis with lower-cost producers all over the world.
With those products and that competition, yearly devaluation was necessary to remain competitive. But today, Costa Rica exports mostly services and high-tech goods, and agriculture is only one-sixth of exports. For its modern export product mix, Costa Rica’s educated workforce provides the competitive edge, and the pricing crutch of yearly devaluation is no longer necessary.
Rudolf Lucke, a professor at the University of Costa Rica’s Institute for Investigation in Economic Sciences, a think tank, put together the chart pictured above left. Though it starts in 2009, not 2007, the chart shows the Central Bank’s success in bringing down inflation. The graph breaks annualized CPI changes down into component parts: regulated and non-regulated products, and exportable and non-exportable goods and services.
In January 2009, the range of inflation components was all over the place, from a low of 11 percent for exportable goods to a high of 17 percent for non-exportable goods. In three years and four months, all the inflation-rate components have converged to between 4-6 percent – a stunning achievement, and the greatest help the government and the Central Bank can give to the poor, who are hardest hit by the inflation tax.
Costa Rica To Start Refinery Construction In January
August 17, 2012 Inside Costa Rica
With the financial support of the government of China, Costa Rica is expected to start in January 2013 the construction of a new oil refinery, that will go into operation by mid 2015.
The new plant will replace the old Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo (RECOPE) facilities in Limón, at a cost of US$1.4 billion dollars, according to a statement by RECOPE general manager, Jorge Rojas.
The project is part of a "fluid" cooperation between San José and Beijing, following the formalization of diplomatic relations in 2007, which also included China's donation of the national stadium and China's buying of Costa Rica bonds for US$300 million dollars and other initiatives.
Rojas said the new refinery will have a capacity of 65.000 barrels daily, covering the current domestic demand and up to 15 years.
The construction of the refinery will be by the consortium named SORESCO, comprised of RECOPE and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which will provide US$491 million dollars for the project.
The rest of the funding, US$900 million dollars, will coming from a loan by the Chinese Development Bank (CDB).
According to Rojas, the new refinery will give Costa Rica independence from international distributors of refined oil products.
Today, RECOPE - the national refinery - imports all fuels for distribution in the country. Local retailers (gasoline stations) buy from RECOPE and sell to consumers at prices established by the government regulating authority, the ARESEP.
The construction of the new refinery is expected to create up to 1.000 temporary jobs and 300 permanent jobs once the plant goes into operation, in the province of Limón, one of the most economically depressed regions in the country.
Walmart in Costa Rica Begins Construction of Mega Distribution Center
Aug. 17, 2012 Inside Costa Rica
Walmart announced the start of construction of the largest distribution center in the region, a building with an area of 49.493 square metres, located in Alajuela.
The new center, which will begin operations in the fist half of 2013, comes at a cost of US$68 million dollars and will generate more than 200 direct jobs in the next five years.
The company says the facility located in Coyol (west of the San José airport) will allow greater centralization of suppliers and provide greater product availability in the stores for client satisfaction. The project also includes a modern logistical support team, to optimize performance and increase efficiency according to Aquileo Sánchez, director of corporate affairs for Central America.
"With this new CEDI, which will be the largest in Central America, we meet the growing demand of our Walmar, Masxmenos, Maxi Pali and Pali stores in Costa Rica, and thus give them greater supply and availability of product to meet the needs of customers, " said Sanchez.
The Mayor of Alajuela, Robert Thompson, said he was very pleased that "a company as responsible as Walmart has decided Alajuela choose to make this important investment".
In a company blurb, Walmart Mexico & Central America says its mission is to help families save so they can live better.facilities.
Walmart de México y Centroamérica is one of the largest private employers in Costa Rica, with more than 9,000 associates working in distribution centres, agro-industrial plants, offices and 203 stores across the country.
Lady Gaga Confirms Costa Rica On Nov 3
August 15, 2012 Tico Times
The Lady Gaga official website added the Costa Rica date confirming local promoter RMPTV that the pop queen is coming to town on November 3, 2012 and the venue will be the Estadio Nacional (National Stadium).
The announcement comes days after the Lady Gaga website had announced its Latin America dates in which Costa Rica was absent.
The news of Lady Gaga coming to Costa Rica generated controversy on Monday, some say that "Born This Way Ball" lacks content and the cost of the tickets that range from ¢33.000 (about US$66) to ¢102.000 colones (a little over US$200).
Tickets for the general public go on sale on August 20 at http://laboleteria.co.cr/eventos/details/50-lady-gaga-en-costa-rica-the-born-this-way-ball-.html. Credimate cardholders can purchase tickets for the event starting Friday (Aug. 17) up to Sunday (Aug 19).
Costa Rica Gets Its First Electrical Code
August 14, 2012 Inside Costa Rica
Hard to believe, but finally it is here, the first ever electrical code in the country as executive order 36.979 takes affect on Thursday.
The document is a safety manual for professionals and traders.
The code aims to eliminate the sale of inferior quality products and ensure electrical installations are safe.
From Thursday on, all electrical installations must be done by a professional or a professional to oversee the work, stopping the practice of any handyman passing himself as an electrician.
The code empowers the Ministerio de Economía to a regular review of the quality of materials used in electrical installations and considers buildings were more than 100 people gather, such as churches, hospitals and schools, as high risk buildings and subject to inspections every five years.
A sizable number of ignitions of structures are due to electrical faults associated with wiring or with wiring devices.
Hector Chaves, head of the Bomberos de Costa Rica (Fire Department) noted that more than a 1.000 people on average each year are left homeless due to fires caused by faulty electrical connections.
Poor electrical wiring can cause many different problems. One of the most common problems in electrical wiring is loose connections. From the electrical panel all the way into the home's lighting and outlet circuits, poor connections can not only be an irritation but can actually be dangerous.
Other problems with electrical wiring can range from improper installation of the wires themselves to worn out or damaged electrical panels.
Another problem is the use of poor quality or inferior products. Using cheap or inferior products and opting of a cheap installation can result in damage or death.
Costa Rica: New Laws regarding Alcohol and Liquor Patentes
August 12, 2012 Inside Costa Rica
We've seen them at the topes, the parades, in the beach towns, coming out of a bar, all with a beer or drink in hand, a practice that many in Costa Rica have taken as custom. However, drinking in public now comes with a fine of ¢180.000 colones (US$355), due to a new law published this past Wednesday in La Gaceta.
The new sanction is included in Ley N.° 9.047, de Regulación y Comercialización de Bebidas con Contenido Alcohólico - the new liquor law that went into effect this past week - which calls for a fine of one half of a base salary which today is ¢360.000 colones. The approved legislation establishes a new legal framework that regulates the licensing for the sale of liquor and sanctions.
Article 9 prohibits the consumption of alcoholic beverages in public places, except during civic festivals.
The new law allows more powers to municipalities, which will have more control and authority over liquor sales and receive more economic benefits from businesses that dispense liquor.
Gone are the "patentes", as municipal leaders put it, so far have been a loss for municipalities and other government institutions and fostered a "black market'.
Now municipalities may issue liquor licenses and classify establishments where alcoholic beverages will be sold.
San José mayor, Johnny Araya, calls the new law "very good, allows more flexibility for municipalities and will be able to adjust revenues and control on liquor licenses".
Under the old system of "patentes", a few held the master rights in a specified boundary, in turn would 'rent' the right to a bar or restaurant. So, in fact, few bars and restaurants actually had a liquor license, paying a fee to the license holder and not the municipality, for the right to dispense.
The license holder, in many cases, paid a small amount to the municipality, passing on the license to heirs or selling it to others for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Nomura Securities Gives Costa Rica Economy The Thumbs Up
Tuesday 10 July 2012 Inside Costa Rica
Amid the gloom of the world economy, Costa Rica sparkles like a little gem. The country is famous for having no army and working hard to protect its environment.
And now Nomura Securities has polished Costa Rica’s halo with a report that says its economy is “flying”. First-quarter growth was 6.9 per cent year-on-year, while foreign investment rose by 10.4 per cent.
As a result, Nomura has raised its projection to 5.5 per cent this year for Costa Rica’s gross domestic product, up from an earlier estimate of 4 per cent. “For the first time in recent memory, Costa Rica is poised to show real GDP growth that exceeds its inflation rate,” says Nomura.
The ratio of investment to economic growth is likely to rise to almost 21 per cent, says Nomura. And it adds: “Public consumption in real terms grew by only 1.8 per cent; this confirms the Chinchilla administration’s commitment to fiscal prudence.” The Chinchilla in question is Laura Chinchilla, the president, and there’s the rub. Costa Rica was recently rated the happiest country in the world, yet Chinchilla has also been rated as the most unpopular leader in Central America. Quite why Chinchilla is so unpopular remains unclear, though the clue might lie in the fiscal prudence, which has led to conflicts in the public sector.
Nor is it clear where the growth in the economy is coming from. Tourism perhaps, but also possibly tropical farm products, such as pineapples.
And Nomura opines that, while the fiscal deterioration over the last few years is likely to be contained in the short run, the report urges a full-fledged fiscal reform. A reform was proposed by Chinchilla but rejected by legislators.
However, fiscal reform is neither urgent nor essential, says Fred Blaser, publisher of Centralamericalink.com and Costa Rica’s daily business paper, La República. “Deficit-cutting can include shrinking the size of government, which is bloated here,” he says.
“The overall ratio of debt against GDP is reasonable, which means Costa Rica can borrow a bit more and still manage, which is what will probably happen, at least in the short term.”
Nomura is a financial services group and global investment bank. Based in Tokyo and with regional headquarters in Hong Kong, London, and New York, Nomura employs about 26,000 staff worldwide. It operates through five business divisions: retail (in Japan), global markets, investment banking, merchant banking, and asset management.
Prediction calls for drier than normal rainy season
July 11, 2012 By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Most of Costa Rica will experience a rainy season drier than normal, according to predictions released Tuesday by the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional.However, the Caribbean will see from 10 to 15 percent more rain for the last six months of the year, said the forecast.
The predictions say that Guanacaste will face a 20 percent decrease from normal rainfall levels. This is the country's driest area in any season, and a reduction of some 270 millimeters, about 19.6 inches, can mean trouble for cattle ranchers and farmers. This is the area where the predictions say there will be the highest percentage of deviation from the normal rainfall.
The Central and south Pacific can expect less rain, too, but the percentages are less. For the central Pacific, the forecasters say some 245 millimeters less rain will fall. That's about 8.7 inches and 10 percent less of the normal amount.The usually rainy south Pacific will see 5.5 fewer inches of rain, but that is just 5 percent of the normal rainfall.The forecast calls for a 5 percent reduction in rain in the northern zone, too, about 105 millimeters or 4.1 inches.
The populous Central Valley will be down by about 15 percent, according to the forecasts. That's 200 millimeters or 7.9 inches of rain.
The U.S. National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center is keeping a close eye on the Pacific. Forecasters there expect to see an increase in El Niño conditions through September. The El Niño phenomenon means that weather in the central Pacific will become slightly warmer. This has dramatic effects all over the world. For Costa Rica, it means drier weather. Costa Rican forecasters usually depend to some extent on U.S. predictions.From nine to 12 cyclones or hurricanes are expected in the Atlantic during this year year, according to local predictions. There already have been three named storms.
Hurricane forecasters at Colorado State University have increased the number of named storms they expect from in the Atlantic. Now they are saying 13 with five reaching hurricane strength.
There already have been five named storms in the Pacific with Hurricane Emilia heading away from Central America at a slow pace. Hurricanes are closely related to El Niño conditions. A final hurricane forecast will come from the Colorado university Aug.3.
Costa Rican forecasters noted that last month was the third driest June in the recorded history of Juan Santamaría airport. Typically, the Costa Rican rainy season runs from May until Mid-December. However, July has been unusually dry in the Central Valley while the Pacific coast and northern Costa Rica have seen some strong storms.
Costa Rica: 20 Year Lag in Traffic Fines
Tuesday 10 July 2012 Inside Costa Rica
Although the most recent legislation was approved in 2008 and went into effect in 2010, Costa Rica lags behind in traffic fines, most of the current fines dating back to the 1993 law. This is because the country's Constitutional Court considered most of the fines set in 2008 as disproportionate and rolling back fines to the previous law.
The road conditions today are much different that in 1993. For instance, in 1993 there were some380.000 vehicles on the road. Today, the number of vehicles is more than one million - almost three times that of two decades ago - and with more or less the same road infrastructure.
In 2008, legislators passed a tough traffic law. After experiencing delays, it was finally enacted in full on March 2010, when fines went from the maximum of ¢20.000 colones set in 1993 to almost ¢400.000 colones. In addition, a point system was introduced.
Until last year, when the Constitutional Court began rolling back fines, transport officials reported a reduction in traffic fatalities. Since then, the numbers of deaths and injuries have begun to increase again.
In the last 12 months, Constitutional Court rulings rolled back the ¢351.000 fine for reckless driving to ¢20.000. Driving without wearing a seat belt costs only ¢15.000 instead of ¢237.000, and not having the Riteve (vehicular inspection) was rolled back from ¢205.000, for example.
Transit authorities are insisting on the urgency of the implementation of the new legislation that was approved last month in first vote and is currently being sent to the Constitutional Court for a review, to avoid the constitutional issues experienced with the current law.
The fines proposed in the new law are lower than those in the 2008 legislation, but hefty enough to become a deterrent to reckless driving.
Municipalities Sign Agreement To Process Construction Permits Online Tuesday 10 July 2012 Inside Costa Rica- Costa Rica News Home
Costa Rica enters a new phase in development that will benefit housing and infrastructure in general, with 100% of the municipalities signing an agreement for all construction procedures be performed digitally.
The development is sponsored by the Colegio Federado de Ingenieros y de Arquitectos (CFIA) - Association of Engineers and Architects - that has been working with the municipalities since last year.
The project is called "Administrador de Proyectos de Construcción” (APC) - Construction Project Management.
Thus, municipalities may link to, review and receive plans from some institutions like the Instituto Nacional de Vivienda y Urbanismo (National Institute of Housing), the Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health), the Cuerpo de Bomberos (Fire department), the Acueductos y Alcantarillados (water and sewer utility) and the CFIA.
As part of the program the CFIA has been training municipal officials on the APC.
All 85 municipalities in the country are on board to use the technological tool and enable the construction permits process to be handled online. It will be some months before the program will be fully implemented.
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Canadian Tourism Increasing in Costa Rica
July 10, 2012 Inside Costa Rica / Costaricanorth.com
The interest of Canadian travelers to fly into Costa Rican territory is growing. This was determined by interest of airlines to open new flights from Canada.
There are currently three existing airlines that fly from Toronto and Montreal to both national airports in Costa Rica.
The arrival of more Canadians could be important income for the Costa Rican economy because the country is one of the wealthiest in the world.
"The increase of flights from Canada is in part due to the signing of the Air Transport Agreement between the two countries," said Luis Carlos Araya, Deputy of Air Transportation.
TACA was the first to launch into full force to attract the Canadian market. Since July 1st, TACA expanded its flights between San Jose and Toronto from three flights weekly to a one daily.
The strategy of TACA to expand the market doesn’t stop there; it is in the process of adding a direct flight from Juan Santamaria to Montreal. The flight to Montreal, which has no start date, will stop at the airport in El Salvador.
Air Canada also increased its operations to Costa Rica, but not from the capital. Liberia, Guanacaste is the next destination the U.S. Company is interested in exploring next semester.
These aren't the only airlines that are interested in connecting Canada with Costa Rica.
West Jet, a Canadian airline is also exploring flights to Costa Rica. Although the low-cost airline is interested in adding Costa Rica to its flight schedule, they have not made a formal proposal.
There are two main purposes of Canadian tourists wanting to travel to Costa Rica; the first is to enjoy recreation and adventure offered by national tourist regions and secondly are those traveling for medical tourism. For Costa Ricans, the arrival of these new flights will provide them with more opportunity to travel to Canada. Those who know Montreal say nobody can leave without trying the smoked beef sandwich at Schwartz's restaurant.
Teatro Jacó has full slate of comedy for July
July 11, 2012 By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
This month Jacó Beach will be the scene of virtually non-stop comedy with Teatro Jaco's inaugural “JACO Ha Ha 2012,” featuring two weekends of acts from the United States, two weekends of Costa Rican acts and comedy workshops in both English and Spanish.
The first half of the month will be devoted to English acts, which started yesterday with “Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories” until the Monday, then the next night comedy troupe, Upright Citizen's Brigade will take over with two nights of workshops followed by five nights of performances.
Breaking for one day, the second half of the month with feature comedy acts in Spanish, starting off with two nights of workshops, followed by three nights of Sergio Masis' “Maldito Murphy,” and concluding with three performances of a sit-com-styled show called “Qué Zambrote!”
“Now everybody's on vacation in Costa Rica. It's nice to have something for people to enjoy and laugh at,” said Ulrike Gutiérrez, production assistant at Teatro Jacó. “It's a good month for that.”
Founded in 2010 by Darren Lee Cole, who also co-owns an off-Broadway theater in New York City called SoHo Playhouse, Teatro Jacó opened at the Oceans Center, last December.
Although Ms. Gutiérrez says that the two shows in English have already been performed at Cole's theater in New York City and were fairly easy to book for Teatro Jacó, but she says this is still a very busy month compared to what they are used to.
“Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories” is an autobiographical stand-up performance by Rhonda Faye Gunnels, in which she tells stories of growing up in her mother's beauty salon. She will give four more performances until Monday.
Next up is two evenings of workshops and five performances by Upright Citizens Brigade, an improvisational theater group with performance spaces in New York City and Hollywood, California. Upright Citizens once had its own television show on Comedy Central from 1998 until 2000, and has had members such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sans over the years.For the local acts performing in Spanish, Ms. Gutiérrez says that Teatro Jacó had little trouble recruiting the acts from San José, where most performers are based. After the cast of “Qué Zambrote!” gives two workshops on the 18th and 19th, one actor and one actress will perform 21 shorts about how Murphy's Law affects all stages of life, in actor, director and playwrightttt Sergio Masis' “Maldito Murphy,” which will run three nights that weekend.After a three-day pause, “Qué Zambrote!” will return for three performances, from July 26 to 28, in which local comedians Rita Fields and Ricardo Segura will play 14 characters and depict comedic scenes of everyday Costa Rican life.
For the performances in English, general tickets cost $20 for general admission and $30 for VIP seating which includes two drinks. Performances in Spanish are $10 for general admission and $20 for VIP seating. The workshops in English are $20 for one night and $30 for both nights. The workshops in Spanish cost 5,000 colons for one night and 7,500 for both. All shows start at 8 p.m., and all workshops start at 6 p.m.
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