One of the first actions of El Salvador's new president, Nayib Bukele, was to announce the elimination of four secretariats and the creation of two new ones: Innovation and Trade and Investment.
In El Salvador, the changes that are coming with the arrival of Nayib Bukele to power are beginning to be announced, since at the first meeting of the Council of Ministers it was reported that the Technical Secretariat of the Presidency, the Social Inclusion Secretariat, the Governance Secretariat, the Transparency and Anti-Corruption Secretariat, and the Vulnerability Secretariat, all created during the FMLN government, will disappear.
The more financially educated people are, more rational their economic and political decisions are, creating greater economic development and better quality of life in society.
EDITORIAL
This fact is clearly indicated by the results of a comprehensive study by McGraw Hill Financial on financial literacy, which is defined as the ability to understand how the money in the world works, what to do to earn it, and how it is administered.
The private companies should have to consider the risk posed to Costa Rica's business climate by the excesses of state union leaders.
EDITORIAL
Costa Rica's democratic traditions pale before the attempt made by a trade unionist to silence the media by threatening the safety of journalists.
An article in Crhoy.com quote statements made by the union member Fabio Chaves regarding the news in Costa Rican media revealing information about unacceptable privileges enjoyed by many officials, acquired against article 57 of the Constitution itself: "Wages will always be equal for equal work under identical conditions of efficiency."
The 29 ports on the west coast are once again operating normally, after an agreement between the union dockworkers and the Pacific Maritime Association was signed.
"... Port officials have said it will take six to eight weeks to clear the row of containers waiting to be loaded onto ships at the piers and several months for cargo traffic to get back to its normal rhythm.
Central American exporters are being recommended to keep using alternate routes during the union conflict which is causing ports to operate erratically.
From a statement issued by the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPOT):
The 29 main ports for goods moving from the West Coast of the United States, including Los Angeles and Long Beach, the main US ports, have been operating erratically since August 2014 due to a conflict which has been going on for months between the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union from the West Coast (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).
The "negotiators" for the Government of Costa Rica have suggested "as a starting point" a proposal to increase the salaries of state workers which was met with "satisfaction" by the public employee unions.
EDITORIAL
Imagine you are responsible to the shareholders of a company that is in a very bad financial position, with costs consistently rising above income, meaning that the losses continually mount up and threaten the stability of the corporation.
As unemployment rises and poverty increases, the Costa Rican Minister of Finance has declared "urgent" the payment of bonuses to central government officials.
EDITORIAL OPINION
If you are an official in the central government of Costa Rica, your bonus this December will average 15.6% higher than 2010. But if you are poor, and most likely also unemployed, the only thing that will increase is the number of your neighbors in the same situation.
Builders and unions have agreed to a wage increase of 3% for 2012 and a further 3% in 2013.
The agreement was reached after four months of negotiations between representatives of the Salvadoran Chamber of Construction Industry (CASALCO), the Trade Union of Construction Workers (SUTC) and the Salvadoran Union of Construction Workers and Allies (SITRACOCS) .
CEPA, the state's ports authority, hired three companies created by ex-members of the port workers union known as STIPES.
This was demanded by the workers in order to stop a port strike they held between December 24 and January 5, which caused over $500,000 in losses to the country.
These three companies were registered on May 2010.
Representatives from Servygra S.A., one of the private companies that were left out of the process, claimed that "to award the contract to these new businessmen, ... port authorities mistakenly evaluated the organizations, violating the rules of the bidding process and overriding the public purchases law (known as LACAP)", reported Elsalvador.com.