Close X Among the reasons explaining the low penetration of hybrid vehicles in the Costa Rican market is the amount of taxes that are charged.

"New hybrid-electric vehicles under tariff headings 8703 and 8704, with cylinders not exceeding 2,000 cubic centimeters, will be able to benefit from a 20% reduction in the selective consumption tax," states the new provision.

"However, the 20 percentage points referred in the amendment of this decree are in respect to the selective consumption tax (ISC) existing in 2006. In May of that year, the government had already reduced the excise tax from 30% to 15% for hybrid cars ".

"If you reduce the selective consumption tax (for hybrid cars) by 10% , that means a reduction in the final price of the car for between $2,000 and $3,000," said Javier Quirós, president of Grupo Purdy Motor, importers of Toyota vehicles.

Toyota is the only company importing hybrid-electric vehicles in the country, with cylinder capacity of less than 2,000 cc, with prices ranging from $35,000 to $45,000. Mario Rivera, manager of Banco de Costa Rica, announced credit lines for $200 million, with interest rates of between 4.83% and 5.35% to facilitate the purchase of these vehicles.

Close XThe so called "Mortgage Law" is causing alarm to mining companies who hold concessions that are not productive.
Monday, August 12, 2013
According to an article in Elheraldo.hn in a meeting with representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Honduras, "The leadership of the National Association of Metal Mining Companies in Honduras (Anamimh) has formalized its position against the applicability of the Law on Development Promotion and Domestic Debt Restructuring, because it is a threat and an attack against the local mining industry and deserves to be vetoed by President Porfirio Lobo. "

"... According to the legal counsel to the mining companies Santos Gabino Carvajal, several companies engaged in the operation of metal mining are facing uncertainty because this legislation has the power to suppress the validity of concessions extended to partners one or two decades ago and which have not yet been undertaken. "

The National Congress passed the Public Debt Restructuring Law in mid-July of this year "for the purpose of issuing bonds backed by projects in mining, natural resources and public infrastructure. The government aims through the securitization of these natural resources to obtain future cash flows through payment in advance via taxes and fees for 20 or 30 year concessions. "

Close XCentral American Business Chambers are calling unfair trade practiced in both directions between the two countries to be dealt with.
Monday, August 12, 2013
"We must, as soon as possible, stop the illegal movement of goods from Guatemala to the southern border of Chiapas, in order to be able to aspire to making progress on all our objectives in this new era of trade between Mexico and Central America," said Jose Mejia, president of the Central American Binational Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Investment.

Attendees of the meeting signed a document "which sets out a number of proposals considered to be "urgently needed" to facilitate trade activities between the Isthmus and Mexico, while expressing their agreement with Peña Nieto to push a single trade agreement with Central America... ", reported Prensalibre.com.

For his part, Oscar Eduardo Ramirez, secretary general of the Chiapas state government, said that "we must end the bureaucracy" as the region needs to have more access to investment, a task that falls to governments and the productive sectors.

Close XThe country ranks third in Latin America in terms of the difference between income and expenditure in relation to GDP.

Monday, August 12, 2013
In 2012, government revenues totaled 14.4% of GDP while expenditures were 18.8%.

Data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), reveals that compared with 2007 figures the country shows a significant deterioration . "... While last year the deficit was 4.4% in that year there was a surplus of 0.6%. Revenue was 15.5% of GDP and expenditure of 14.9%," noted an article in Elfinancierocr.com.

The situation could be more critical this year when taking into account the provisions of the Central Bank estimating that the deficit will close at 5% and analysts who calculate 6% for next year. The economist Fernando Rodriguez points to two factors that have deteriorated to the country. The first is that expenses have increased and the a level of collection has not reached what it was in 2008,15.4% (13% is projected for this year).

Close XAmCham Nicaragua has announced that representatives of the company HKND, concessionaire of the project, will hold a conference on August 13.
Friday, August 9, 2013
The activity, organized by the Nicaraguan American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), will include the participation of HKND Group spokesman Ronald MacLean-Abaroa and Alberto Vega, a representative from Environmental Resources Management (ERN), the firm responsible for the environmental impact studies.

"We are bringing first-hand to our membership and the Nicaraguan people clarification on the current state of the canal, what progress has been made in these feasibility studies and how far we think it will go," said the president of AmCham, Diego Vega.

"Everything has been moving very quickly and it is important to take a pause, to take a moment to have first hand discussion with the people who are managing the project, so that they can clearly convey to us to where we stand," he added.

"We are going to continue to monitor this process and that is something that from day one we have been asked to do, investors who are not clear on the rules will invest in Nicaragua," said the official.

Close XThe Costa Rican teacher's retirement fund seeks to improve its returns by investing in public infrastructure.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Two bills are being promoted to strengthen the Costa Rican Collective Capitalization Regime which could spend $1.8 billion on public infrastructure.

The driving force behind both initiatives is the Board of National Teachers Pensions and Retirement Plans (Jupema). The first of these projects seeks to amend an article of the 7531 Act to expand the scope of investments of the Collective Capitalization Regime (RCC by its initials in Spanish) and the second initiative seeks exemption from income tax on the income from those investments.

"... these modifications to the national regulatory framework are necessary in order to allow these investments to have sufficient guarantees so that these investment funds are not at risk," said Roger Porras, director of Jupema.

Close XThe Constitutional Court has declared the practice unconstitutional and has prohibited the granting of new fishing licenses.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Fishing for shrimp with drag nets has been banned "... due to the amount of octopus, small fish, rays, eels, crabs and other marine life that is incidentally captured but not used", reported Nacion.com.

"Since the notification of this judgment the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Incopesca) will not be able grant any new license or permits for fishing for shrimp with nets. Nor can renew expired permits or reactivate inactive ones". Valid permits and licenses will remain in force until their expiration as long as the corresponding authorities adhere to the judicial order.

"Perhaps, in relation to the exploitation of fishery resources, it is unfortunate that these aspects which should be more responsive to technical assessments and not other kinds, have led to this situation and to this outcome. We will have to gauge the effects of the ruling as a whole, but certainly iw will produce a significant immediate impact, " said the CEO of Incopesca, Luis Dobles.

Close XThe enlargement of the country's territorial sea, granted in the ruling by The Hague, is the justification to reinforce Nicaragua's military naval capability.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Nicaragua is analysing the possibility of buying eight maritime patrol boats from Russia for the purpose of monitoring the Caribbean waters recuperated from Colombia last November.

According to the Army Chief Julio Cesar Aviles, they have already visited shipyards in several countries including Russia. The aim of the purchase is to strengthen the country's navy.

"There is a real need to acquire these naval assets, (...) this it is the effort we are making, looking at the different existing boats and seeing which ones best suit us," he said.

"Unofficially it has been reported that Russia is preparing an initial shipment to Nicaragua of four patrol boats and two boats equipped with anti-aircraft guns, but the exact type has not been confirmed by the military leadership of Managua," reported Elmundo.com.sv.]

Close XIn Guatemala you have to invest an average of $10,000 to cover the costs needed for equipment, furniture, tools, training and administration.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
It has been estimated that Guatemalan companies invest an average of $10,000 in the generation of one job, an amount that may vary according to the activity being carried out.

This is according to the Ministry of Labour assessments (Mintrab) in the country. This amount covers the cost of equipment, furniture, administrative and training costs.

According to Mario Marroquin, president of the Union of Extractive Industries, for mining companies the cost of creating one job has soared because of industrial safety issues and other tools needed to perform the activity.

"We believe that under current conditions creating a new position can cost up to $12,820," said Adolfo Lacs, director of the Federation of Bank and Service Employees, who claims that the Mintrab is using data from 2008.

Close XIf it is not even clear whether there is a need for another canal in Central America, then obviously some or all of the routes currently being planned are not going to work.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Andres Oppenheimer, in his article in Elnuevoherald.com, notes the incongruity of having so many projects, making so much effort and so much investment in order to transversely divide up Central America, rather than applying those resources to uniting their countries throughout the isthmus.

Nicaragua recently announced the signing of a contract with a Chinese company to build a canal for $40 billion, and Guatemala has made public its intention of having its own dry canal for more than $12 billion.

Andres Oppenheimer from Elnuevoherald.com, consulted Guatemala's ambassador in Washington, Francisco Villagran, on whether the government of that country supported the project and the diplomat said yes. "The government wants to provide every facility so that the project will be viable, because it is in the government's interest as well as municipal governments and the communities which this corridor would pass through," he added.

"If the projects in Nicaragua and Guatemala materialize, they would be competing with the Panama Canal as a means for transporting containers from the U.S. and Latin America to Asia, and vice versa," noted an article in Elnuevoherald.com. However, according to the former director of the Panama Canal, Alberto Aleman, this does not make much sense.

In his view, "it will be much more expensive and complicated to transport products through Guatemala and Nicaragua than through Panama, because while the Panama Canal is only 80 kilometers long, and Panama already has a highway and a transoceanic railroad, while the Guatemalan corridor would be 372 kilometers long and the Nicaraguan canal 290 kilometers long. "

Close XThere are five projects in Costa Rica attempting to set up truly fast internet networks, and all of them are hampered by bureaucracy.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
An editorial in Elfinancierocr.com explains that in Costa Rica "the five projects designed to bring high speed internet to businesses and homes are stuck."

"... First of all, it begs the question, why have five projects that are so similar? The plans by Racsa, Jasec, ESPH, Curridabat, all offer an open network (available to all service providers) using optical fiber to connect households (known as Fibre To The Home or FTTH), while the ICE is planning to use fiber combined with copper to provide it's services. "

"... Fast and cheap Internet is urgently needed. With each passing day we are losing competitiveness by taking away from our population the opportunity that other countries have to be constantly connected at speeds high enough to mean that response time or the quality of communication, is not an impediment to searching, finding, creating and sharing. There is an urgent need to create a psychology of abundance, in which Internet resources are not an obstacle and are, therefore, freely and abundantly used for creative and productive purposes to increase people's welfare. "

Close XOngoing and projected investments indicate that there is still room for small and medium enterprises.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Small and medium sized supermarket chains are expanding in the greater metropolitan area.

One example is Super Mora, a mini chain of supermarkets from Puriscal which in 2014 will be expanding into Santa Ana, where there are plans to invest $3.7 million in the construction of a 7000 m² square which will include a main supermarket, commercial stores and parking areas. Super Mora is known to be competing with Auto Mercado, which recently opened a 2,600 m² store in Escazu.

Other shops of this type which are also growing are ASUN, Uscosa, Luperon, Coopeagri, and the convenience stores Deli Mart and Quickstop. "It's an industry that is just beginning to unfold, there is still enough room for new competitors," said Flavia Loeb, responsible for publicity and marketing at Deli Mart.

"Data from the research firm Euromonitor International reveals that, in 2012, supermarkets generated $1.59 billion in sales and convenience stores $78.7 million," noted an article in Elfinancierocr.com.

Close XIn Central America microinsurance coverage is minimal, with rates well below the rest of Latin America.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Throughout the region, Guatemala leads they way in such services with 0.58%, followed by El Salvador (0.13%), Nicaragua (0.12%), Panama (0.06%) and Honduras (0.05%) . According to a study by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Salvadorans prefer micro-life insurance (112,000 people) and health insurance (78,000 people).

"In El Salvador there are all kinds of insurance policies, however, there is a need to develop products which meets the needs of the most vulnerable groups, those who can not afford the high volume insurance policies," said Sandra Lorena Duarte, financial services manager at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Meanwhile, David Castro, director of management control at Aseguradora Suiza Salvadoreña, S.A.(Asesuisa), believes that microinsurance policies can have a big impact on vulnerable groups. This service is characterized by having a low premium rate and is aimed at people with low incomes.]

Close XThey demand a productivity evaluation of public employees in Costa Rica, and a reform to the Civil Service Statute.
Friday, August 2, 2013
From a press release issued by the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Enterprises (UCCAEP):

The Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of Private Enterprises (UCCAEP), is asking for the public administration to make reforms, as soon as possible, to the Civil Service Statute to incorporate productivity studies on the tasks performed by public employees in order to improve the quality of goods and services provided by the state.

The private sector made the request after learning about an increase in the occurrence of absenteeism in the workplace as a product of the growth of officials on sick leave at some public entities.

"UCCAEP in their country's development agenda has indicated the urgency of reforming the Civil Service Statute to incorporate the issue of productivity of public officials in the exercise of their functions using evaluations, promotions and compensation," said Mr. Jaime Molina, president of the Union of Chambers.

Close XChina is losing its cheap labor advantage, opening opportunities for growth in the manufacturing sectors of countries like Nicaragua.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
According to a report by Stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence firm based in Texas, "China's economic problems have opened the door to 16 different countries, including Ethiopia, Mexico, Indonesia and Peru, to become global forces in the growth of the manufacturing sector, "noted an article in Americaeconomia.com.

Stratfor says that the 16 countries after China, according to their region are, in Latin America: the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru, in the Indian Ocean Basin: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Myanmar , and in the periphery of the South China Sea: Cambodia, Laos, Philippines and Vietnam.

"The dispersion of the industries which we see as signs of an initial phase of economic growth is already underway. Moreover, there are no extreme blocks for higher economic growth, however, some of these countries would be considered as having low levels of political risk and stability at least, no more than what China would have had in the period 1978 - 1980 ", says George Friedman, chairman of Stratfor.]

Close XThe Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad is putting out to tender drilling materials for its geothermal energy division.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Among the supplies requested are:

Sludge and cement additives

Tubular Casing

Valves and accessories

Float Shoes and Float Collars

The deadline for submission of bids, Sept. 2, 2013.

Close XThe Costa Rican Central Bank has decided to remove the limits on credit growth both in dollars and in colones, due to the weak economic growth facing the country.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
The announcement came during the presentation of a review of the Macroeconomic Program 2013-14, where it was revealed that growth projections for that period are 4%, while inflation will be 5%. According to the President of BCCR, Rodrigo Bolaños, the Costa Rican economy is growing at a slower pace due to a reduction in exports, coffee rust, the limitations on sowing more pineapples and even the limit on credit growth.

Following the announcement of the elimination of credit ceilings, the head of the BCCR is concerned about two situations. The first is that dollar credits provided by financial entities are superceding the amount of deposits in that currency. According with Bolaños, when the amount of savings is greater that loans, banks have a mattress or buffer if external financing drops away, but right now, "they are sleeping on the floor".

La second concern of the official, is that "dollar debts which banks have assumed abroad outweigh investments in that currency which are maintained outside of the country, which could generate payment problems", noted an article in Nacion.com.]

Close XThe president of HKND declared that they have already decided the route of the proposed Nicaraguan canal.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Wang Jing, president of HKND said that although a feasibility report is currently being carried out, "the framework" for the project has already been defined. "There wont be small changes, but there are no major changes," said the businessmen when specifying the route: Hound Sound Bar (South of Isla del Venado, in Bluefields Bay) - Escondido River - Rama River - Oyate River - Lake Nicaragua - Las Lajas River - Brito River.

Elpueblopresidente.com reports: "This route is the most convenient because it requires less investment costs and smaller soil excavation. In addition, the geological characteristics of the area facilitate this activity. The topography of the land where it is located is relatively flat with an upward slope of 2% in the first 54 km from its beginning on the coast of the Atlantic ".

"I am 100% sure that construction will begin in December 2014 and will end in five years, in 2019," said Jing, adding that "it is very clear to us that Lake Nicaragua is the country's mother lake, a symbol, like the Yellow River is to China. Therefore protection of this lake is the focal point of our feasibility report. "

The businessman explained that the money for the studies for the road has been secured with funds from China, Europe and the USA "Our investors are large banks and other large institutions. These are first class investors," he stressed.]

Close XIn 2012 the country imported $232.5 million worth of fertilizers, a decrease of 6% compared to last year.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
CentralAmericaData released its fertilizers imports report for 2012 in Costa Rica. Data includes by CIF totals, Average Weight and Prices, Product Description, Importer, Brands, Countries of Origin, Customs and Import Regimes.

Within this sector, imports of mineral or chemical fertilizers were the only ones that experienced an increase in 2012, up 3% compared to 2011.

Meanwhile, imports of mineral or chemical fertilizers containing two or three nutrients recorded the largest decrease, down from more than $8.7 million in imports in 2012 compared with the previous year.

With a reduction of 7%, imports of Mineral fertilizers or nitrogenous chemicals experienced the second largest decline in the sector, going from $108.5 million in 2011 to $101 million in 2012.

The Fertilizer Imports report by CentralAmericaData Costa Rica.com provides a very detailed view of the market for this product. It facilitates analyzing changes in consumption patterns, identifying and monitoring key market participants and studying price trends, among other uses.

Contents of the Report:
- Total CIF value of the period, kilograms and average price.
- Cif value, kilograms and average price according to the Trade Description
- Cif value, kilograms and average price according to the Company Importer
- Cif value, kilograms and average price by Brand
- Cif value, kilograms and average price by Country of Origin
- Cif value, kilograms and average price according to Customs entry point.
- Cif value, kilograms and average price by Import Regime.

To order this report please complete the following form:]

Close XIn contrast to what should be a regional customs union, every Central American border post charges vastly different rates and taxes.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
We believe that we could even stage regional custom blockades," said the Nicaraguan Marvin Altamirano, president of the American Federation of Chambers of Transportation (Fecatrans).

Central Freight carriers will meet next August to define the measures to be taken against the different fees imposed by various countries in the region.

According to Altamirano, the latest events occurred in March, when Panama wanted to establish a comprehensive review of trucks, and in April, when Nicaragua attempted to charge $15 for each vehicle in order to finance a scanning system. Added to these is the fee that Costa Rica attempted to charge, of $25 per truck and $5 per person, which was to be used to fund improvements at border posts.

Monica Segnini, president of the Costa Rican Chamber of Exporters (Cadexco), explained that the most recent event is the increasing supply of informal cargo services in the region, as well as the practices of transport unions in each country to defend their niche. Segnini added that transporting a container to the region can cost $1,500 and that by using informal services the price is $800.

Close XThis retail sector in Costa Rica comprises about 248 importers of second-hand clothes who are now looking at the middle class market.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Although the prices of items range from $2 to $10, the large volumes handled by big chain stores make it a profitable business. Between 2007-12, used clothing imports rose by 50%, 87% came from the U.S. and 10% from Canada.

Last year alone, 21.7 million pounds of clothes came into the country. "The profitability of the business becomes clearer when you take into account that a 20-foot container, with a capacity to transport up to 44,000 pounds of clothes, has an invoice value on average of between $5000 and $7000, according to statistics from the Ministry of Finance . That same container holds 132,000 garments which could be marketed for as much as $254,000 at weighted price ", reported Elfinancierocr.com.

"This business is like food. It will never go away because it involves goods that people will always need, even in times of crisis," said Luis Rojas, co-owner of the American clothing importer Mavi.

For Rodolfo Molina, president of the Costa Rican Textile Chamber, these businesses compete unfairly with those who bring new clothes into the country and local manufacturers, as the law does not requires them to label their products with indications such as place of origin and manufacture, which means an additional cost for the other sectors.

Close XReal estate projects in Costa Rica face a tough time expanding due to lack of drinking water in several areas of the country.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Projects developed in cantons such as Escazu or Santa Ana and Mora are being affected by this problem, where local permits for the expansion of properties are held in limbo. "In Guayabo there was interest in the possibility of doing some kind of social project for the people of that Canton, but we've run into the problem of lack of water and the value of the land which is creating a problem with the housing issue ... " said the Mayor of Mora Gilberto Monge.

Another example of water shortages is in Perez Zeledon, where at the moment building permits are frozen. According to the mayor, Vera Corrales, the efforts being made center around buying land where springs are located which provide the lifeblood for various wells which supply most of the districts that are not yet suffering from a critical water shortage.

According to the director of the National Union of Local Governments (UNGL), Leonardo Campos, "municipalities are interested in this, there are some that are more able than others to carry out this task in order to grow, some have more resources than others, but in many cases the political will and the will of those territories in having orderly growth is at odds with institutions who are not aligned with that goal. "

He said the water problem threatens the development of the cantons therefore the problem should be studied in the context of land use in order to direct efforts towards productive growth and housing in these places.

Close XThe demand for housing solutions and commercial spaces in downtown San Jose has led the cost of land per square meter to rise to $1,200.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Nacion.com reports: "Mata Redonda, Merced, Catedral, Hospital and El Carmen have in the last three years represented half of the total square meters (sqm) for which there are applications for building permits. In this area, construction of houses and stores has the most dynamism ... ".

The price increase is due, according to the businessmen, to a repopulation process initiated by the Municipality of San Jose through the promotion of high rise construction. According to the Chamber of Construction (CCC), the houses that were built in those five districts represented 40% of all those built in the county in 2012, the cost per square meter ranges from $270 to $850, and can even reach $1,200.

"The concept of pedestrian communities has made places like Rohrmoser, La Sabana, Barrio Escalante, Los Yoses, Barrio Dent and the center of San Jose become attractive," said Edgar Santamaria, regional director of Century 21 Central.

Moreover, the five districts grouped above represent 50% of the 158,605 m² of new commercial buildings in the county in 2012. Most of these properties are rented, with prices ranging from $60 to $95 per sqm per month. "The boulevards generated increased pedestrian traffic, which has led to a rise in prices," said Danny Quiros, intelligence manager at Colliers Costa Rica.

Close XPanama, Belize and Nicaragua are competing with Costa Rica and Mexico in trying to attract retirees from the U.S. and Canada.
Friday, July 26, 2013
All of these countries are offering residency packages and tax exemptions at rates similar to those granted by Costa Rica. For example, in Nicaragua there is a law which provides advantages for retirees on items ranging from cars to building materials. In the case of Panama, there is a program which has reduced the requirements to invest in property, businesses and other endeavors. "The message of this law is simple. "It is 'Come to Panama'" said lawyer Manoj Chatlani .

Laprensa.hn reports: "New luxury complexes, equipped with spas, restaurants, marinas and golf courses, are spreading. Developers say they are using more materials that add quality and luxury which is designed to appeal to buyers with high purchasing power. "

The number of Americans receiving pension payments in Panama has increased by 65%, as 2,164 new people between 2006-11, while in Nicaragua it went from 595 to 1322 people. However, these figures fall short when compared to Mexico and Costa Rica, where more than 50,000 Americans received their pension payments in Mexico and 5,000 do so in Costa Rica.

In Belize, where developers are trying to promote the country as a place for retirees to live in luxury, they are currently building a complex which will hold 2,000 residential plots, 250 condominiums and townhouses and a marina with capacity for up to 250 boats

Close XDespite a direct order from the president, Costa Rican ministerial bureaucracy is still blocking a system which looks to eliminate corruption in public procurements.
Friday, July 26, 2013
The Ministry of Finance has not yet signed the decree establishing the mandatory use of Mer-Link in procurement processes, which could delay its implementation in January 2014.

Nacion.com reports: "Although the first version of the decree was received by the Ministry of Finance on 6 June, it has yet to be signed, a fact which will delay implementation of the system, according to the director of the Digital Government, Alicia Avendaño".

José Luis Araya, Minister of Finance said the decree has not been signed because it must be verified that Mer-Link meets all the requirements of the Financial Administration Act and that institutions will integrate it once it has validated the platform and ensured there will be a constant and effective service.

The National Roads Authority (Conavi) is the first institution which will have to use the single procurement system, however, a week ago it conducted two public procurements using Mer-Link which were criticized by the Ministry of Finance as it has not yet been given permission to do so.

Close XThe Municipality of Jalapa is putting out to tender the purchase of power and electricity for Empresa Eléctrica Municipal de Jalapa.
Friday, July 26, 2013
EEM-JAL-L001-2013 purchase of power and electricity at social and non-social tariffs for Empresas Eléctrica Municipal de Jalapa"

13,461,781 KWH POTENTIAL ENERGY DEMAND NON SOCIAL RATE

16,504,104 KWH POTENTIAL ENERGY DEMAND FOR SOCIAL RATE

The deadline for submission of bids is September 3, 2013.

Close XThe heavy bureaucracy present in Central American governments is obstructing the transport of goods, adding to regional trade costs.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
In Guatemala, for example, the inefficiency in resolving issues and easily implementing procedures is self evident, as currently there are open files against 36,000 carriers, "something that no one can update, because of how cumbersome it would be to update this documentation , but the worst thing is that many of these records were wrongly documented because they correspond to breaches by vehicles which later went out of circulation ... " noted an editorial published by Prensalibre.com.

Carriers have spent more than a year negotiating with governments to work more freely, but their concerns seem to have gone unheard because they are still waiting for solutions, a situation which has led them to take action to stop governments from hindering their work, "when it would be much more worthwhile to speed up the resolution of these cases, unifying criteria and allowing trade to recover its dynamism".]

Close XFor every ton of tuna caught in its maritime territory and sold in other countries at prices of between $6,000 and $10,000, Costa Rica earns only $37.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
An article in Nacion.com reports that "Between 2002 and 2011, 259,180 tons of tuna were caught in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Costa Rica. 85% of that tuna was unloaded in seven countries, with Ecuador receiving 51 % of the landings, being the main recipient, while in Costa Rica only 15% was unloaded. "

"... In the international market, every ton of tuna processed as canned product is priced at $2,800 (¢1,411,200), and if that ton is sold as fresh product it can be worth between $6,000 and $10,000 (between ¢3,024 000 and ¢5,040,000). "

Through fishing licenses, "in the period between 2008 and 2011, the country saw an average income of $37 (¢18,648) per ton of tuna extracted."]

Close XThe plan is to invest $100 million in a large reservoir that would supply water to more than 350 thousand people.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
The project would be located "in about 21 farms that are currently devoted to livestock, as the land is not very fertile for agriculture, by contrast, they are very calcígenos and have a block of stone under the surface which would facilitate water not leaking away", reported Prensalibre.cr.

"They will be summers where the supply from wells will not be enough. Therefore it is important to have a map of the surface waters in the country. In Guanacaste we are trying to build a large dam-water reservoir which will allow us to store about 80 million cubic meters in the canton of Bagaces, to have another option. Not only for irrigation but also for drinking water in the driest part of the country," explained the the general manager of the National Groundwater, Irrigation and Drainage Service (Senara), Bernal Soto.

Close XThe World Trade Report 2013 focuses on trade as cause and effect of the change, and examines the factors shaping the future of global trade.
Friday, July 19, 2013
The world is changing extremely rapidly under the influence of many factors, among which are changing patterns in production and consumption, constant technological innovation, new forms of trade and obviously political policy.

One of the main drivers of change is technology. Although the revolution in transport and communications has transformed the world we live in, new breakthroughs such as 3D printing and the continued expansion of information technology will continue to shape it. Trade and foreign direct investment, along with the geographic extent of the growth of income and opportunities, is allowing an increasing number of countries to become integrated into a network of more extensive international exchanges. The increase in income and population will put further pressure on resources, both renewable and nonrenewable, which will force them to be managed more prudently. Environmental issues also require increasing attention.

Economic and political institutions, as well as the interaction between the cultures in different countries, are helping to shape international cooperation, including in the field of trade. The future of trade will also depend on the efficiency with which political measures are able to respond to the ever more present issues regarding social matters, such as persistent unemployment and income inequality. These and other factors are discussed in the World Trade Report 2013.

Close XCementos Progreso has announced an investment of $720 million in the construction of the San Gabriel plant with capacity of 2.3 million tons per year.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Adding this to the capacity of the San Miguel plant, located in Sanarate, El Progreso, the company will be able to offer the market five million tons of product every year", reported Prensalibre.com.

Pliny Herrera, spokesman for the cement company, said that the new plant is to be built in the farm San Gabriel Buena Vista, in San Juan Sacatepequez, and will have an installed capacity for annual production of 2.3 million tons.

The plant will have an area of â??â??64 hectares and its construction will be completed in 2016. Furthermore, Cementos Progreso will build a 14-kilometer road to be ready in a year.