In Costa Rica a bill has been presented in the Legislative Assembly that proposes establishing a tax of $1 on every box of pineapples exported.
If the initiative by Deputy Gerardo Vargas Varela from the Frente Amplio party prospers, the tax of $1 for each box of pineapples exported would be similar to the one charged, since 1971, on exported boxes of bananas.
A bill that is being discussed in the Congress of Costa Rica would allow the tax authority to lift bank secrecy for companies without needing authorization from a judge.
The bill proposed by MPs of the Frente Amplio party includes a fine of between three and 100 base salaries, for any financial institution that refuses to provide information to the Tax Department or who delivers it outside of the required deadlines.
Despite pointing out several errors in the text which make the system impractical, the Legislative Assembly has given final approval to the proposed reforms, while they prepare further amendments.
Reform to the Banking System for Development has been approved, however, "... There are gaps that will make the plan unworkable and ineffective, if it is ever to become law ...
A proposed amendment to the Labour Code of Costa Rica would allow for strikes with only 16% of total workers in companies whith no unions.
From a statement issued by the Union of Chambers and Associations of the private business sector (Uccaep):
UCCAEP rejects proposed amendment to the Labour Code
In regards to the new labor code reform initiative released on Monday by the parliamentary factions of the Citizen Action Party, Frente Amplio and the Social Christian Unity, UCCAEP :
If successful, the bill being discussed in the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, will make shareholders of corporations liable in cases of fraud.
The Legal Affairs Committee has endorsed a bill entitled Lifting the Veil of the Legal Personality, to be discussed in the plenary of the Legislative Assembly. The initiative aims to reform the Code of Commerce so that shareholders of corporations will be held accountable for the acts of the company in the event of any breach or violation of rights.
The accreted political left in Costa Rica is proposing that the oil bill that is being run up now, be paid for in the future by other generations.
EDITORIAL
Proposed by a legislative faction of the Frente Amplio party, the possible accession of Costa Rica to the oil alliance created by Venezuela, will not lower fuel prices automatically, but because of how the agreement works, it will mean financing oil purchases at rates that are just a little better than the current cost, simply to keep on increasing government debt, not to mention the political implications that could come from such a close relationship with the government of Venezuela.
Johnny Araya, presidential candidate, proposes removing the caps on the private generation of solar, wind and biomass energy.
During a meeting with the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Business Sector , the presidential candidate of the National Liberation Party, Johnny Araya, proposed removing legal limits for private power generation using renewable sources such as solar power, wind power and biomass.
In scenarios where no candidate managed to win a direct election, the results of the first round confirmed the trends of voters to the left in both countries.
In a second round on March 9th in El Salvador and on April 6th in Costa Rica the next presidents of both nations will be chosen, after two elections ended with no candidate receiving the required majority to be declared president.
The virtual tie in the polls of candidates from the left, center and right is causing concern among employers.
With less than three weeks to go before the elections for the Presidency and Members of the Legislative Assembly, a poll has shown there is a tie for the top position, according to voter intentions, out of the three parties with distinct government programs, generating uncertainty about the changes to the business environment which could occur during the next term of government in the country.
In Costa Rica presidential candidate José María Villalta wants to reform income tax so that the financial sector contributes more.
Reforming the tax for the financial sector in Costa Rica will provide more resources to pay for public services and social security, as per the proposal by presidential candidate of the leftist party Frente Amplio.
Prohibition of geothermal power generation in protected areas would be lifted by the two presidential candidates who are leading the polls.
Johnny Araya of the National Liberation Party (PLN by its initials in Spanish) and José María Villalta from the Broad Front (Frente Amplio) party, said they would allow the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) to explore geothermal energy in the Rincón de la Vieja National Park in Guanacaste.
In Costa Rica the presidential candidate of the ruling party is proposing using part of the proceeds from the tax to fund pensions and improve control of tax evasion.
The candidate of the National Liberation Party (Partido Liberación Nacional), Johnny Araya, proposed in his government plan that of the 13% tax charged on each sale, 3% be assigned to the funds set up by pension providers to cover the pensions of those over 65 years old.
Entrepreneurs and ALL presidential candidates agree on the need to eliminate privileges and unfair wage abuses in the public sector.
"On this point the five candidates that top the polls agreed during a debate organized by the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Business Sector (UCCAEP)," reported an article in Ameliarueda.com.
All of the Costa Rican presidential candidates agree that there is an urgent need to modernize public transport by reactivating intercity railways.
This is one of the proposals which tally across all the candidates for the presidency, to improve the country's road infrastructure. They "... agree on the need to modernize public transport, by strengthening the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (Incofer), the bus transport system and the national road network."
A bill is being promoted in the Legislative Assembly which would ban the cultivation of GM products and order the non-renewal of the permits which have already been granted.
The project which is seeking an indefinite moratorium on such crops is being driven by members of the Acción Ciudadana Party (PAC by its initials in Spanish) and Frente Amplio Party.