Within the Economic Council of Government Luis Guillermo Solís' ministers are divided with some favoring openness to international trade, and others wanting to protect vulnerable sectors.
The Ministry of Foreign Trade, which is in favor of accession, argues that there are free trade agreements with member countries of the Alliance, meaning that they would only be strengthening commercial ties.
Caps imposed by the Superintendency on tariffs for telecommunications services restrict competition by preventing operators from offering more expensive packages to more affluent segments.
The telecommunications industry is requesting the freeing up of rates with the aim of letting the market itself be responsible for setting them, with oversight by the Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel).
While ships wait five days to unload grains, a new dock is unable to be used because a staff member resigned and the appointment of his replacement has been delayed.
A green light is being awaited from the new authorities of the Costa Rican Pacific Ports in order to start work and approve the fee schedule so that dock can start operating. However, this delay has generated several additional costs in recent months, increasing the price of corn, soybeans and sodium carbonate, among other things.
The government aims to update the $6 a year license for concessionaires of radio and television frequencies which has been in effect since 1954, while employers fear a reallocation of spectrum.
The draft bill proposes an increase in the rates for radio and television based on the number of frequencies held by the concessionaire, the type of coverage, the use to be given and the type of diffusion, national or rural.
A proposal has been made for the price per KW / h produced from wind and solar energy in private plants to be established according to a price band in which the maximum and minimum would be below current levels.
It is expected that in February the reform which aims to change the methodology for fixing the selling prices of solar and wind energy from private companies will be put to public consultation, with the goal of creating a more competitive range. This setting only applies to new companies since for existing ones specific prices have been established.
The government has announced the signing of the process of incorporation, while business associations oppose the increased tariff liberalization which will come from membership of the group.
As part of the agreement of incorporation into the block of Pacific Alliance tariffs must be eliminated on 92% of the products and the remaining 8% will be gradually removed.
Citing the old concepts of food sovereignty, protection is being given to the inefficient production of the few while the consumption capacity of the poorest is punished.
EDITORIAL
As expected, the government of Luis Guillermo Solís has decided to apply the safeguard measure requested by rice farmers, increasing the tax paid on imports of milled rice from 35% to 62%, which in practice only applies to rice bought in Argentina and Uruguay.
Employers have indicated that the increase of 13% in rates is unjustified and instead a reduction of 8% should be applied, considering variations in the exchange rate and generation capacity.
From a statement issued by the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Business Sector (UCCAEP):
UCCAEP believes that electricity rates should fall by 8%
Nicaraguan businessmen have proposed that Central America as a whole operates a preferential tariff treatment in the US for imports of textiles in the region.
After trying to negotiate, through several formats, tariff preference levels (TPL), so far unsuccessfully, textile entrepreneurs are now appealing to the union of the region to address the issue with the US once again.
Arbitrators working under the framework of DR-CAFTA have ruled that Costa Rican exports within this trade agreement in El Salvador should receive the tariff preferences provided for in the text.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica (COMEX):
Defending the interests of the country as part of the effective administration of the treaty
The Costa Rican Chamber of the Food Industry states that it would be unacceptable to change the treatment given to the products in existing bilateral treaties.
From a statement issued by the Costa Rican Chamber of Food Industries (CACIA):
Country should not rush to deprotection of product by joining the Pacific Alliance
- CACIA participating this week in sectoral meetings convened by the Ministry of Foreign Trade, in order to assess conditions applicable to Costa Rica in this group.
In Costa Rica generators of small scale energy are complaining about a lack of key definitions in the regulations in force since April and which regulate sales of surplus energy.
How rates are set, who will buy the bidirectional meters, how records will be created to manage the repayment of the surplus and how to obtain a certificate, are some of the questions arising from the regulation on Planning, Cooperation and Access to the National Grid (POASEN).
The Economy Ministry has rejected a request by producers to temporarily raise the tax on imported grain, but has not ruled out doing so from December 2014.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC):
The Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC), through Resolution 051-2014-DM has decided, after a thorough technical analysis in which it was determined that there exists a causal relationship between an increase of the imports of husked rice contemplated and the threat of harm to the domestic industry, not to apply provisional safeguard measures on imports of the product concerned.
The country wants to take advantage of the tariff preferences it has to export shoes to the United States and the European Union so as to attract foreign investment to the sector and turn it into an export platform.
From a statement by Pro Nicaragua:
All footwear manufactured in Nicaragua has duty free access to the United States, the European Union and other important markets.
The Ministry of Environment in Costa Rica is considering raising the ceiling on the amount of energy private generators are allowed to produce above the current 15%, but these companies are demanding the elimination of the ceiling and free competition.
Private power generation companies are opposed to pricing and limits that are imposed on the participation and sale of power in the country, and consider it a "discriminatory act".