Contrary to the opinion of center bank president, Rodrigo Cubero, who says that the national economy is on a “solid recovery route”, business owners are more cautious, and ask for more time before declaring victory or debating changes.
“I do not want to be neither pessimistic nor do I want to contradict the good omens that the Government is presenting to us, however, I do not think that is the reality at that time today, January 15, 2020 of the comerical sector,” according to Yolanda Fernández, president of the Chamber of Commerce.
On Tuesday, January 14, Cubero said at a press conference that Costa Rica’s economic activity shows improvement since June 2019.
Growth hit bottom with a value of -0.5 between February and April of 2019. However, the value rose to positive 0.1 percent between May and August of the same year.
By November 2019 the variation had reached 1 percent. Thus, the six months of recovery to which Cubero refers is the period from May to November 2019.
Fernández told CRHoy.com that another of the factors they distrust of that figure is that, in the same period of 2018, Costa Rica was experiencing a turbulent period amid intense strikes and the discussion of fiscal reform. So by 2019 the scenario was more favorable for the country. The president of the Chamber said that this was equivalent to “comparing pears with apples.”
“We have not had indicators that tell us something different, I wish I could come to tell you that this is so. People are still reactive, it was a very hard 2018, ”said Fernández.