According to Alexander Mora, Minister of Foreign Trade, 22 technical committees from Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are studying the country to see if it meets the standards to be part of the 35 member countries. These committees assess Costa Rica’s performance on issues such as tax, education, health, environment, trade, public governance, […]
Archives for June 13, 2016
Costa Rica at risk of avian influenza and Newcastle disease
Costa Rica’s geographical conditions make the country vulnerable to the penetration of avian influenza and Newcastle disease. According to pathologist Dr. Lissette Urena, these diseases are already in Mexico and Nicaragua, so the passage of animals, such as birds, could have consequences on Costa Rica’s population. Most avian influenza viruses do not infect humans, but […]
Be a hero: donate blood
If you’d like to save lives, you can take part in the blood donation campaign on Tuesday June, 14th in Alajuela. The activity will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at St. Lucia University. According to data from the National Blood Bank, a single donation could save up to 4 lives, so the […]
LGTBI population in Costa Rica condemns senseless hatred
After the attack on the Twin Towers on September 11th, 2001, the two biggest attacks to the country have targeted the LGBTI community, including last Sunday’s Orlando massacre at Pulse nightclub. Hatred and intolerance behind these and any other kind of fundamentalist attack is condemned by Costa Rica’s LGBTI community, as well as leaders of […]
Government needs $115 million to investigate Panama Papers
President Luis Guillermo Solís has approved a request to the Legislative Assembly for $115 million to fund an investigation of the Panama Papers on the part of the Finance Ministry. Solís said investigating this case is important because tax evasion contributes to the fiscal deficit and the need to raise taxes. The funds will be used to hire additional staff that […]
Hotel owners call unconstitutional exit tax hike
Hotel businesses are opposed to a presidential decree that increases the exit tax by $2. The tax would go into effect in two months and is intended to fund the Animal Health National Service (SENASA). Gustavo Araya, president of the hotels association said the decree is unconstitutional, since the executive branch can not create new taxes without authorization of […]