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A.M.
Costa Rica
Your daily English-language news source , Monday through Friday ..... San José, Costa Rica Published Wednesday, March 14, 2018 Vol. 18, No.314 |
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| Central
Bank
gets a $1 billion credit line to increase its dollars reserve |
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 By AM Costa Rica staff
Monday the
Central Bank of Costa Rica reported that a
credit of $1 billion had entered the country
provided by the Latin American Reserve Fund,
located in Bogotá, Colombia.
The new resources are reflected in the increase of $1.039 billion in the international reserves as of March 9. The reserve amount is currently $8 billion. This balance is equivalent to 13.2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product estimated for 2018. It is also equivalent to 1.7 times the balance of the extended monetary base observed at that date and 6.4 months of imports of goods estimated for the current year. The credit has a term of three years, with one year of grace. The agreement was signed by Olivier Castro Pérez, president of the Central Bank and José Darío Uribe, executive president of the reserve fund. Representatives highlighted that these foreign currency flows and their effect on net international reserves were foreseen in the macroeconomic programming of the Central Bank. |
The credit line should be paid in
36 months.
In addition,
its purpose is to strengthen the position of
international reserves and help maintain
macroeconomic stability in the country.
The reserve fund board approved the granting of the loan in October. |
| Costa Rica gets awarded for best stand at Berlin's tourism fair | |
By AM Costa Rica staff
Costa Rica
stood out in its category and won the award for
the best stand of the American Continent and the
Caribbean in the most important tourist fair in
the world, ITB Berlin.
Mauricio Ventura, minister of Tourism, said that with this recognition, Costa Rica consolidates its image in the world. "The stand represents the first impression of the country and, for thousands of people, is the only approach they have had even with America. For that reason, we transformed our presence in international fairs, so that our culture and the authenticity of the Tico will be reflected in every corner. Costa Rica sells authentic travel experiences and that is precisely what we promote in our stand, an experience of getting into the wild of our country while enjoying gastronomy, good coffee, our music, dances and traditions," said Ventura. Within the evaluation criteria, the organizers of the fair contemplated aspects such as the general impression of the stand, attention to visitors, access to information, design, creativity and the use of sustainable materials, the tourism board said. According to Viviana Rudín, head of International Fairs, the stand measured 300 square meters. It was located in a fairground of 160,000 square meters. The decoration included natural plants, elements of the ethnic culture such as typical carts, coffee baskets, wooden horses, seasonal fruits, mixed with the aroma and flavor of coffee, chocolates from Costa Rica, cajeta, cotton candy, music and typical dances like the Creole swing, considered part of the intangible cultural heritage of Costa Rica. |
 Costa Rica Tourism
Board photo
Mauricio Ventura, Minister of
Tourism
celebrates the award. In addition, technology was included by using LED screens, video walls, printing of photographs for visitors and business meeting spaces for the 43 Costa Rican tourism companies that participated in this edition. ITB Berlin is the largest tourist fair in the world with the participation of 180 countries from five continents, 100,000 participants, 160,000 visitors and 5,000 journalists. |
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| New website offers more than 3,000 bilingual jobs | |
By A.M Costa Rica staff The Costa Rican
Coalition for Development Initiatives, presented its
modern digital recruitment platform. www.joblink.cr,
in which more than 45 leading multinational
companies in the service and manufacturing fields
and recognized recruiters, will seek to fill 3,800
open positions for the first semester of the year.
The main requirement for participants is that they
speak a second language.
Job Link was enabled Monday and will continue until March 23 with an online service 24 hours a day. Those interested can visit the website from any computer, smartphone or tablet with internet connection to learn about the available job offers and apply online. "JobLink is a first multilingual digital recruitment effort that aims to be an innovative and easy tool for those seeking a quality and well-paid job opportunity in multinational companies in the services, life sciences and manufacturing sectors, which are the big employers in our country. Candidates can access the platform from anywhere in the country and in the comfort of their home so we hope to expand the opportunities for Costa Ricans to connect with quality jobs," said Jorge Sequeira of the coalition. Users who enter the web platform and who are fluent in English or Portuguese can take the BELT free language test, which is provided by the Language International partner. This test will allow companies to know, in advance the language level of the applicants. Candidates who apply for positions that require mastering another language will be interviewed directly by the companies at a later date. "We want to find the best human talent that wants to be part of our culture, that wants to be part of our ideal of continuing to build smiles and dreams of continuing to grow. In addition, we want to be able to reach the largest number of active population in the country, to continue recognizing us as a leading employer brand in the market and that through our large family many people can have an excellent job opportunity," said Diana Rodriguez, human resources specialist at Align Technology. When entering www.joblink.cr, participants will be asked to register on the web platform so that they can know the job offers and apply online to one or several positions. If any of the applicants participated in the coalition job fair the previous year, he or she can update the data and use the same profile. |
Presidency of
the Republic photo
The 47 companies
listed in the site offer
427 different posts. Those interested must be over 18 years of age and must have an identity card, valid residence card or passport to register and apply to any vacancy of interest. JobLink participating companies emphasized that they are not only looking for personnel who speak several languages, especially English or Portuguese, but also professionals and technicians with or without experience. Among the areas of greatest interest for employers that stand out: IT and systems, accounting, customer service, finance - financial analysis, software development, technical support, engineering (production, electrical, electronics, electro-mechanics, materials mechatronics), administration and business, human resources and sales. These are the 47 participating companies that seek to recruit 3,800 people, for a total of 427 different positions: 3M, Accenture, Akamai Technologies, Align Technology, Amazon, Amway Shared Service Center, Auxis, Bayer, British American Tobacco, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Cheetah Digital, Circuit, Citi Service Center, Citrix, Client Services, Convergys, Dell, DO Talent Management, Double Digit, DXC Technology, Equifax, Experian, Fujitsu, GEP, GSK, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HP, IBM, Infosys, Kareo, Microsoft, Microvention, Mondelez International, Moody's Analytics, National Instruments, NCI Buildings Systems, Regroup, SmileDirectClub, Snap Technology, Tek Experts, Stratus Video, SYKES, Tek Experts, Teleperformance, Thermo Fisher Scientific, TradeStation, Transperfect Connect and Western Union. |
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| ... Students propose that Sanatorio Duran become a touristic attraction |
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By A.M. Costa Rica
staff
Students from the
Costa Rican Technological Institute have suggested
that the Carlos Duran Sanatorium has tourist
potential in its infrastructure as well as in the
area surrounding it.
The area is secure, is a natural resource and contributes to sustainable tourism. The structure is located in Potrero Cerrado de Cartago and has an important history as an old hospital. Proper management of the location for tourism development, where the economy, conservation, and sustainability go hand in hand has never been implemented, the research suggests. The initiative promoted by students of the Sustainable Tourism Management Program foresees the conditions for developing a sustainable tourism project. Students Kimberli Solano, Jenory Sánchez and Yanixia Sánchez, with the support of experts from the School of Occupational Safety and Hygiene, determined a series of actions to be carried out in the area. Some of those actions include providing relevance to its historical-architectural value through historical information and the creation of walking routes in the surroundings of the old hospital. A map was drawn of the area as part of the results of this investigation using color to represent different risk degrees. Red represents an extreme risk, orange is high in risk, yellow is a moderate risk and green is acceptable. Miriam Brenes, professor of the School of Labor Safety and Environmental Hygiene, and adviser of this research, highlighted that a series of concerns were found such as the control of and access for people and where cargo loading areas will be established. Brenes added some other recommendations such as bettering the infrastructure and emergency exits. |
 Technological
Institute of Costa Rica photo
The Sanatorio
Durán served as a hospital for tuberculosis
patients between 1918 and 1973.
The recommendations were given to the National Union of Small and Medium-sized Costa Rican Farming Producers, the organization currently in charge of administering the area. Miriam Brenes, professor of the School of Labor Safety and Environmental Hygiene, and adviser of this research, highlighted that a series of concerns were found such as the control of and access for people and where cargo loading areas will be established. Brenes added some other recommendations such as bettering the infrastructure and emergency exits. The recommendations were given to the National Union of Small and Medium-sized Costa Rican Farming Producers, the organization currently in charge of administering the area. |
| Authorities
arrest
23 members of a drug trafficking ring in the Caribbean |
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By A.M. Costa Rica staff The Judicial
Investigation Organization dismantled two violent groups
of drug traffickers operating in the Costa Rican
Caribbean.
Two operations were carried out and were named Reventazón in Turrialba and Ciudad Pecado in Cieneguita de Limón. In total, the authorities arrested 23 people. Judicial police captured 16 people in charge of operating 15 bunkers in the center of the central Cartago canton and in La Suiza de Turrialba. The leaders had connections in Cieneguita and Turrialba and are suspected of trafficking drugs. "It's the most violent group in the area. They collected debts with violence and practically had a drug sales monopoly,” said Walter Espinoza, director of the judicial police. In the raids, marijuana, ecstasy, crystal meth, cocaine and firearms were confiscated. Police also found boats used to transport the drugs locally. The second operation took place in Limón, where police officers dismantled a band led by a man named Picado Sánchez. |
 Judicial Investigation
Organization photo
The anti-drug
operations took place in Turrialba (Cartago) and
Cieneguita (Limón)
This group is being
investigated for three three homicide attempts and
two homicides in Limón. They are also linked to
marijuana and crack cocaine traffic.
According to the judicial police director, the suspects used boats to acquire drugs from Jamaica or in recovering packages floating in the sea. |
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| San José, Costa Rica Published Wednesday, March 14, 2018 Vol. 18, No. 314 | ||
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...Food |
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Montaña Viva, the fair to support
small businesses |
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By A.M. Costa Rica staff Fraijanes
will become the headquarters of the Montaña
Viva Fair, a mega artistic, cultural and
gastronomic event, Saturday and Sunday where
the public will be able to discover the
attractions offered by the areas of Poás,
Fraijanes, Sarchí, Vara Blanca, Poasito and
Bajos del Toro.
These locations will be represented at the fair by 85 micro-entrepreneurs who will offer their products and services. The Montaña Viva Fair is being suggested as a destination by the Office of the First Lady of the Republic. The fair hopes to motivate tourist visitation to the surrounding areas of the Poás Volcano National Park. The office of the First Lady and the Municipality of Alajuela, the Municipality of Heredia, the Municipality of Valverde Vega, the Municipality of Poás, the Costa Rican Tourism Board, the National Radio and Television System, the Chamber of Tourism of Poás, Poasito and Fraijanes and the Chamber of Tourism of Sarchí and Bajos del Toro, have cooperated in their efforts create this event and alleviate the drop in sales in the area after the closure of the national park due to a volcano threat. Montaña Viva is also presents a territorial image and is a carefully designed tourism concept. Currently, its official profile on Facebook, which has more than 20,000 followers, works as a showcase for traders and entrepreneurs. "We began the work of coordination in June 2017," explained the first lady, Mercedes Peñas. "This fair represents our goal of showing how rich this area of the country is and to activate the local economy." Plants, flowers, cheeses, sweets, jams, breads, chili, strawberries, blackberries, lodging services, adventure sports and tours will be part of the services offered. |
 Montaña Viva
Facebook photo
The event's objective is to
increase tourist visitation in the areas close to
Poás Volcano.Children can enjoy the playground designed for different ages, kite workshops, stories, and even interactive games to encourage logic, patience, analysis and psychomotor skills. Young people, adults and seniors can view the exhibition of old cars, may participate in the bingo games and win prizes, or enjoy the First Festival of the Tractor, where the modified and painted tractors will be on parade. The most original design will get a prize. Those who attend will also enjoy musical performances by local artistic groups. A closing concert will take place Sunday with the participation of Los Sabrosos de Mama and Los Ajenos bands. All activities are free. |
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San José, Costa
Rica Published
Wednesday, March
14, 2018
Vol. 18, No. 314
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.....Food |
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| ... Sylvania will invest $2.5 million in new manufacturing plant in Costa Rica |
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By A.M. Costa Rica staff The transnational
company Sylvania announced the beginning of a new
manufacturing plant in Costa Rica. The plant, with an
investment of $2.5 million for construction and
equipment, will start operations in 2019.
The two levels structure will be built under the Free Zone regime adjacent to the company's facilities in the Pavas Industrial Zone. The Free Zones Regime allows a company to skip income taxes or pay a reduced amount for a certain amount of time, usually five years. The construction would start at the end of May and is expected to be finished in six months. "Given the growing demand of the market, we want to expand the operation and increase the production capacity in Costa Rica, from which products are exported to the markets of Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico, always driving the conversion to LED technology," said Tiago Pereira, manager of Sylvania for Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico. Once it is fully operational, the new plant will generate around 100 new jobs, mainly in engineering and technical areas, the company said. Sylvania has 273 employees in Costa Rica, divided into administrative and manufacturing tasks. |
 The new plant will be a complement to the existing operation and, once both areas are fully operational, the company will have around 370 workers in Costa Rica, plus another 180 who work in countries of Central America and Mexico. At the end of 2017, and with an investment of $1 million, Sylvania launched Syltech, its new LED technology brand aimed at the mass consumption market in Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico with 35 bulbs, LED tubes and luminaires. |
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| San José, Costa Rica Published Wednesday, March 14, 2018 Vol. 18, No. 314 |
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....Food |
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| The $1,700 birth
certificate |
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By
Javier Zavaleta
The client, born during the tumultuous period of time when Indonesia gained its independence from the Netherlands, needed to get a certified copy of her birth certificate to apply for residency. A simple request to the Netherlands should have solved the problem, right? Wrong. The Netherlands denied the request because the client had become an American citizen. Essentially, our client was told to go get it from Indonesia. Because she had no family or friends in Indonesia, we hired an Indonesian private investigation firm. The investigators had to go in person to three locations and manually search for the right volume where the six-decade-old birth registration could be found. It took two months to find it. All we had left was to get, it and it was free! Wrong again. Indonesia does not issue apostilles. It uses the old and tedious authentication method called legalization. Our Canadian clients are painfully aware of this process, as Canada still uses it. Worse yet, at that time Costa Rica did not have a consular office in Jakarta as it does now, so we would have to do Third Country Legalization. Once the Indonesian government authenticated the birth certificate, the investigator took it to, you guessed it, the Canadian consulate in Jakarta. Then it was FedEx'd to our document processing agent in Ottawa, Canada. Once in Ottawa, the document went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Costa Rican Consulate. Our agent next FedEx'd the document to our office in San Jose to get its final signature at Casa Amarilla. Now fully legalized, we filed it with Migration. |
 A.M.
Costa Rica wire services photo
The moral of the story is to be patient and creative in finding a solution to the problem. It took us close to five months, 53 emails, and almost $1,700 paid by our client to get this one document. Fortunately, this was a very unusual case. Getting a copy of a birth certificate usually costs about $10. I am happy to report the client is not only a resident but she is now a permanent resident! Editor's note: Javier is a UCLA graduated with a degree in political science and economics and a 30-year career in the legal field with top multinational firms. He is specialized in litigation, is an Enrolled Agent to practice before the I.R.S. and has maintained a tax practice for businesses and legal expertise on solving residency cases in Costa Rica. He can be reached at javier@residencyincostarica.com |
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