In the first quarter of 2020, just before the crisis generated by covid-19 began, there were 72,972 formal businesses registered in Costa Rica. In the second quarter the figure fell 6% and by September there was a slight recovery.
Data from the Costa Rican Social Security Fund indicate that between the first and second quarters of the year the number of registered companies fell from 72,972 to 68,946.
Due to the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, the income of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund was reduced, which puts at risk the financing of 120 infrastructure projects that together total an investment of approximately $1.521 billion.
Prior to the pandemic, Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (CCSS) plans were to tender and execute over the years 2021-2030, more than a hundred infrastructure projects.
The power of public employees' guilds in the country was evidenced by the agreement that authorities of the Social Security Fund agreed to sign in order that employees of the entity may continue to enjoy privileges to the detriment of others.
EDITORIAL
Arguing that "judicializing" the strike was the only and best way out that could be achieved in the short term, the highest authorities of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) complied with the pressures of trade guild members, who with the desire to maintain the differential treatment they have enjoyed for many years, suspended access to basic health services, even carrying out actions as despicable as closing a blood bank and paralyzing equipment for cancer treatment.
The Costa Rican Social Security Fund has reported that it will be investing $16 million in the purchase of a new property and $43 million in the remodeling of its main office building in San José.
The works for the design and construction of structural reinforcements and mechanical, electrical and architectural reconditioning of the Laureano Echandi Building, Caja Costarricense Social Security (CCSS) central offices, were awarded last June to Consorcio Edificar-Molina-Guidi for an amount of $43 million.
In Costa Rica, only the state insurer and Oceánica de Seguros presented proposals for the tender of the Social Security Fund's all-risk insurance service, estimated at more than $2 billion.
Taking part in the process to award a contract for a policy to protect all of the buildings, machinery, equipment, furniture, merchandise and even the collection of works of art and books and magazines owned by the Social Security department, were the National Insurance Institute (Instituto Nacional de Seguros or INS) and Oceánica de Seguros.
The Costa Rican Social Security Institution awarded Estructuras S.A. the design, construction and equipment of the operating rooms, delivery room and intensive care unit at Hospital México.
According to Social Security officials the contract was awarded on Monday, and the work includes construction of a building measuring 18,477 m2and approximately $44.8 million will be invested.
At the end of the year a tender could be launched for the design and building of a 70,000 square meter hospital in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
The hospital will require a total investment of $178 million, and will have, in an area of 70 thousand square meters, 64 clinics, 12 operating rooms, 350 inpatient beds, 43 observation beds in emergency rooms, and 4 delivery rooms.
The Costa Rican Social Security Fund is evaluating making an annual purchase of HIV drugs next year.
The aim of the authorities at the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) is to avoid the situation of shortages suffered almost two months ago, when they ran out of the drug Efavirenz.
Through a trust with the Bank of Costa Rica, plans are underway to build 30 health areas, 22 financial branches and a storage center for supplies and medicines.
Among the projects that will be built with the resources to be administered by the Bank of Costa Rica through the trust is the William Allen hospital in Turrialba, whosetenderwas announced recently.
In the next five years the Costa Rican Social Security Institution plans to invest about $1.8 billion in building new infrastructure and purchase of medical equipment.
The aim of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) is to start to reverse the significant backlog there is in terms of building infrastructure, due to the decline in investment registered with the entity from about 2010.
$18 million will be allocated to equip the seven-story tower, which will be built starting from April at the Calderon Guardia hospital, with 209 beds, 35 incubators and radiology, neonatology, gynecology, and an isolation unit.
The estimated cost of the project is $83 million, its construction will begin in mid-April and it will be completed within three years, according to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS).
The Costa Rican Social Security Department has announced that it will buy 1.3 million doses of flu vaccine in the coming months.
As part of a national vaccination program against influenza, the Costa Rican Social Security Department (CCSS) is preparing for the acquisition of 1.3 million doses, about 100,000 more than were bought last year. In 2016 investment in these vaccines amounted to $4 million.
Eleven autonomous entities including companies such as Recope and Acueductos y Alcantarillados averaged a 32% increase in their advertising budgets in 2017.
In their budgets for 2017 at least eleven decentralized state enterprises have significantly increased the amount of resources allocated to advertising in 2017.In the case of the Costa Rican Oil Refinery (Recope), Nacion.com reports that"... The increase is 30%." Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA), has budgeted to spend $760,000, higher than the $229,000 that was spent in 2016 in this category.
46% of the funds to be spent in 2017 will go towards purchasing cancer drugs, vaccines, antiretrovirals and antihypertensives.
In the purchase of vaccines alone, almost $17 million has been earmarked for the acquisition of 2.3 million doses against various diseases.
The budget of $207 million for procurement of drugs in 2017 was approved by the board of the Costa Rican Social Security Department (CCSS), and recorded an increase of $4 million compared to 2016.
The Costa Rican Social Security Department is looking for buildings to house one thousand employees over three years while its central building is repaired.
The Social Security Department (CCSS) plans to spend almost $13 million on renting buildings, of which nearly $2 million has been earmarked for document storage and about $200,000 to move the furniture.