Given the economic crisis generated by the covid-19 outbreak, nine out of ten companies operating locally reduced their revenues and one out of three made temporary closures.
Between May and August 2020, a COVID-19 section was included in the Directory of Businesses and Establishments (DEE) as part of the update, in order for businesses to indicate what the main effects of the pandemic were.
Companies with teams dedicated to innovation, organizational structures that allow for agile decision making and that quickly migrated to teleworking, are those that have best adapted to the new commercial reality.
The pandemic brought about a scenario of changes in the business models, the companies had to apply radical changes in an accelerated way in order to successfully face the challenges represented by the changes in people's habits.
After the first case of covid-19 was reported in the country, the private sector is asking authorities to close the borders partially or completely and to have people entering the nation examined and quarantined if necessary.
Jose Adan Aguerri, president of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP), explained that among the measures taken by the companies for this emergency is the creation of a critical department so that the companies that the staff is working in three different places in case any of them is affected, have guns to measure the temperature of customers who come to the company and not allow them to enter with fever.
It is estimated that by 2019 there were 396,796 microenterprises operating from homes in the country, 10% more than the 361,404 reported at the end of 2018.
On average, each microenterprise has 13 years to develop its economic activity, but there are differences by sector: in the agricultural sector, the average is 20 years, in the industry sector is 14 years, in the trade sector is 12 years and in the service sector microenterprises have on average 11 years developing their economic activity, reported the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC).
With the election of Alvaro Saenz Saborío as the new president of UCCAEP, the Chamber of Industries and the Chamber of Banana Growers decided to return to the largest business association in Costa Rica.
Gonzalo Delgado decided to resign the presidency of the UCCAEP, after several days charged with much controversy and divisions within the largest business union Costa Rica.
After the Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the banana growers' union of Costa Rica decided to leave UCCAEP, the Chamber of Construction has asked for the resignation of the president of the business leadership.
The board of directors of the Costa Rican Chamber of Construction (CCC) requested by means of a letter, which was sent on November 4, the immediate resignation of Gonzalo Delgado, president of the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of the Private Business Sector (UCCAEP).
After the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Industries ceased to be part of the UCCAEP, union directors expect them to "reconsider the position, because they recognize the value of both organizations.
Directors of the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of the Private Business Sector (UCCAEP), made up of 47 chambers, believe that the differences in this type of organizations are to be expected, but the goal is to join efforts.
The owners of the Runway, NK Collection and Todo Jeans stores opened their first point of sale in a shopping mall in Santa Ana, and plan to open more in the coming years.
The Nicaraguan company opened its first women's clothing store, Runway Costa Rica, in the Santa Ana Town Center, and required over $200,000 in investment.
The determination of how much and how the minimum wage should be regulated, something that occasionally seems to be done in an arbitrary manner and for political purposes, continues to be one of the factors that most confront Central American businessmen and governments.
In Costa Rica, a 3% increase in the minimum wage was approved for 2019; in El Salvador, an increase is expected to be discussed, and in Guatemala, the commission in charge of the issue reported that no increases will be made this year.
Businessmen in Costa Rica ask the government to complete projects that promote the reactivation of the economy next year, where construction and agriculture are the highest priority activities.
In addition to the economic rebound, the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Business Sector (UCCAEP) expects the country not to focus on single-issue discussions, as happened in 2018 with the fiscal plan.
In order to facilitate the formalization of more companies, in Costa Rica the private sector has proposed to the government the implementation of a fiscal amnesty exclusively for the informal sector.
The Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Enterprise (Uccaep), proposes that the tax amnesty be carried out avoiding retroactivity and reprisals, and that it has a short period of duration.
In Costa Rica, between the first and second quarters of the year, expectations of business leaders fell by 4%, registering the lowest value in the last eight years.
The Research Institute of Economic Sciences at the University of Costa Rica reported that "... The result of the global index of business expectations reveals in general terms that the optimism of business leaders weakened by 2.3 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, standing at 51.3 ...".
Of the almost 38 thousand companies registered in the country, only 6% export some kind of product or service, while 15% import, among which are those in the fields of manufacturing and commerce.
The Directory of Companies and Establishments 2017 (DEE) of the National Institute of Economy and Censuses (INEC) details, among other data, the business category and the activity to which the companies in the country are dedicated.
The high cost of energy and the fiscal deficit are two of the problems that worry companies in Costa Rica, who also face an uncertain political scenario, a few weeks to go before a second round of elections.
With a month and a half to go before a second round of elections, Costa Rican businessmen highlighted a difficult year in terms of job creation and attraction of new investments.
Recognized Brazilian company of backhoe loaders, telescopic, articulated and other types of cranes looking for companies interested in representing the brand and distributing their machinery in Central America and Mexico. The company manufactures and sells telescopic,...