The National Rice Corporation states that adhering to the regional initiative blights what has been achieved in bilateral agreements with each country in the Alliance.
The Costa Rican agro industry has closed ranks against the country's accession to the Pacific Alliance. Both producers and the minister himself, Luis Felipe Arauz, have stated that the agreement is unfavorable for products such as rice, coffee, swine, beef cattle, ornamental flowers and strawberry growers.
They argue that joining the bloc offers growth potential for commercial partners who to date represent only 4% of total exports.
Enrique Egloff, president of the Chamber of Industries of Costa Rica provided support for this with figures which show that in 2015 Costa Rica's exports to the countries in the Pacific Alliance totaled $377 million and imports $1.786 billion.
The prospective candidate must have magician's skills, preferably qualifications as an engineer or lawyer, and a vocation to be a punching bag.
EDITORIAL
It's been two weeks since the resignation of the Minister in charge of Public Works and Transport in Costa Rica and President Solis has not yet announced who will fill the position. And there is no doubt that it will be very difficult to find not only the ideal candidate for the job, but also someone willing to accept such an impossible mission.
The Chinese government has announced that it will not buy bonds worth $1 billion offered by Costa Rica, seriously delimiting the leeway that the Solis administration has to manage its growing fiscal deficit.
The lack of political conditions to implement greater controls on government spending and to gain approval for a fiscal package which would tidy up state finances is preventing multilateral lenders such as the World Bank or the IMF from lending money to Costa Rica, meaning that, after the elimination of the option to sell bonds to the Chinese government, Costa Rica will have to resort to the domestic market for funds, which will inevitably push up the cost of money for all sectors, including production.
The government has announced the "unification of public procurements" when the only modification from the previous situation is the change of name and the logo for "Mer-Link" to "SICOP", while keeping the CompraRed system in operation.
EDITORIAL
The officially announced "new Integrated System for Public Procurement (SICOP)" by the Solis administration is the exact same Mer-Link which has been used up until now.
A ship's captain is the person legitimately appointed to rule the ship, and must not relinquish power to rebellious sailors who want to set a course that serves their own interests and not the rest of the passengers.
EDITORIAL
In Costa Rica the crucial debate today is the weight in the country´s economy and productivity, of a minority of state officials who enjoy privileged salaries and working conditions, notably different to other workers, both in the public and private sector.
The government has announced plans to build a hospital in Turrialba, located 6 kilometers away from the one existing, with an estimated investment of $78 million.
From a statement issued by the presidency of Costa Rica:
CCSS ratifies new hospital project for community of Turrialba
The new center, with an investment of $78 million, will have more diagnostic and surgical capacity; and more specialties.
An executive decree has forbidden the development of hydroelectric projects of more than 500 MW in the bed of the Pacuare and Savegre rivers for the next 25 years.
From a statement issued by the Presidential Office of Costa Rica:
Government decree safeguards environment of Savegre and Pacuare rivers for 25 years
- 500 kilowatt or more hydroelectric projects prohibited
The President of the IADB has advised Costa Rica to make a tax reform to raise taxes arguing that today the teetotum indicates "everyone gives".
EDITORIAL
The use of the old fashioned game of a faceted spinner by the head of the hemispheric institution as example, deserves to have the whole story told: the person who spun the teetotum was the Costa Rican government, the same participant of the "game" who on their previous turn benefited from the teetotum when it landed showing "TAKE ALL". Luis Alberto Moreno is saying that the serious fiscal crisis which the country now finds itself in means that now everyone must contribute to its solution. That means aproving more taxes.
Once again the Presidency has spoken out to calm investors denying the insinuations of a Deputy Minister related to opening up the discussion on the free trade zone regime.
According to an article in Crhoy.com, the Deputy Minister of Labour, Harold Villegas, mentioned in the framework of the International Forum of Social Solidarity Economy that "as a society we should discuss the activities that should or should not be tax-free and although free zones functioned well in a moment of history, it's time to move towards a system of greater tax justice and for a more open discussion to take place. "
The government started selling pork from local producers to industrialists who normally prefer to import it from Chilean producers at lower prices.
EDITORIAL
A section of the Solis administration is still implementing protectionist concepts that are in conflict with the development model which is open to foreign trade reflected so far in multiple FTAs.
The government is waiting for more technical studies and analyzing the effects it would have on local production if entry of goods and services from Chile, Peru, Mexico and Colombia were fully liberalized .
Although the previous Chinchilla administration had taken firm steps to join the trade bloc, the current President Solis, has cooled down the process, which in order to continue must wait for the Ministry of Foreign Trade to complete further studies on commercial sensitivity, and later present them for public consultation.
A bill to improve the fight against tax fraud authorizes the tax authorities to seize the assets and bank accounts of delinquent taxpayers, without a warrant from a judge.
An article in Nacion.com reports that the Technical Services Department of the Legislative Assembly has proposed a rule that "... could affect property rights and the privacy of individuals because it would allow Taxation officials to take possession of any money deposited in bank accounts, income from salaries and pensions. " and all this "... without a warrant, the Tax Administration would be able to seize assets and enter business establishments."
Correcting the mistake made in July 2014, the Solis administration has reinstated the strategic political role of the tourism sector.
An article in Elfinancierocr.com reports that "... The Presidential House announced that the tourism sector will regain its rank within the government. The announcement of the correction made on Wednesday night by the President of the Republic, Luis Guillermo Solis, who signed an executive order to return the tourism sector to top place during the inauguration of Expotur 2015. "
The essential modernization of technical and administrative rules governing the sector is being hampered by the proposed inclusion of rules to control content.
EDITORIAL
The vaudeville act (from the Royal Spanish Academy: frivolous, light and spicy comedy based around intrigue and misunderstandings) presented and represented by the government of Costa Rica, regarding the development and "socialization" of the proposed new Telecommunications Act , has produced as its first result t a leaderless Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications (Micitt).