As a result of the corruption case in Costa Rica involving a shareholder of Constructora MECO, Fitch Ratings downgraded the company's long-term national rating to "A-(pan)" from "AA-(pan)", and at the same time placed it on Negative Watch.
On the morning of June 14, 2021, some 700 agents of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) and the Public Prosecutor's Office (prosecutors) raided 21 homes, Casa Presidencial, Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT), National Viability Council (Conavi) and Public Transportation Council (CTP).
After the Legislative Assembly ratified the country's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the business sector is of the opinion that this will help consolidate the institutional reforms needed to make the State more efficient.
The Assembly informed that by approving in the second debate the bill 22.187, which contains the agreement on the terms of accession, the deputies gave the green light to Costa Rica's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
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.
Allowing import, export and transit processes to be carried out efficiently is the recommendation of the region's businessmen to avoid product shortages in the regional market.
For the Federation of Chambers and Industrial Associations of Central America and the Dominican Republic (Fecaica), governments should continue to take the measures considered necessary so that the cases detected so far do not continue to multiply, or at least, the contagion curve can be minimized, taking actions such as activating and expanding emergency response mechanisms and informing the population about the risks and ways to protect themselves.
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).
Raising the quality of education, eliminating excessive paperwork and generating opportunities, not threats, for people to formalize their economic activities are the main demands of the Costa Rican business sector in the run-up to 2020.
Generating more employment and strengthening the business sector while the actions of the Executive, Legislative Assembly and the Judiciary are being implemented are some of the projects outlined for the first quarter of the year, according to the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of the Private Business Sector (UCCAEP).
In Costa Rica, businessmen believe that by 2020 major steps should be taken to revive the economy and reduce unemployment, and government initiatives should focus on not hindering national production.
For the national productive sector, represented in the Unión Costarricense de Cámaras y Asociaciones del Sector Empresarial Privado (UCCAEP) (Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of the Private Business Sector), during next year this government cannot fail to implement public policies that are not very effective.
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.
Guatemala was the only country in the region that improved its position in the global ranking monitoring businessmen's conditions for doing business, while the others went backwards.
The World Bank released the results of the Doing Business 2020 report, which measures the regulations that favor or restrict the development of business activity in different countries.
For the minimum wage adjustment planned for January 2020 in Costa Rica, the business sector proposes a 2.53% general increase.
The Unión Costarricense de Cámaras y Asociaciones del Sector Empresarial Privado (UCCAEP), representing the formal private business sector, submitted the salary adjustment proposal to the National Salaries Council.
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,...