U.S. Fed stays course amid spending cuts
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the Fed’s policy board still saw risks for the economy.
HP to move 400 Costa Rica jobs to India
Employees will be offered positions in other local units.
Industry trade fair to focus on carbon neutrality
Some 200 businesses are expected to participate.
Airport duty free stores expanding
Sales last December alone totaled $843,000.
Do Costa Rica crops have a ‘Water Footprint’?
“In Costa Rica, government officials prioritize short-term development that puts at risk what’s most important for the country’s development: water and land,” experts say.
Costa Rican hotels ready for Holy Week rush
Hotels in Guanacaste and the Caribbean expect to be the two top destinations this year.
Lawmakers approve $55 million loan for Caribbean docks
Funds will be used to add a 300-meter dock to the current port.
Infosys opens outsourcing center in San José
The Costa Rican office will soon offer the company’s entire range of services.
Costa Rica to host annual medical tourism summit
Costa Rica is among the world’s five best places to retire, according to “International Living” magazine.
Internet slow, but speeding up in Costa Rica
The Costa Rican government expects 16 percent of the population to have a broadband connection by 2016.
Costa Rica ranks high with Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor users
Travelers praise the country for its nature, adventure and friendly fellow travelers.
U.S. medical supplies firm opens $8 million facility in Costa Rica
Company expects to hire 500 employees in the next two years.
Costa Rica, Colombia wrap up free trade deal
Presidents will sign the agreement on May 23.
Delta airlines announces new daily L.A.-San José flight
The new nonstop flight is already available for booking at the company’s website.
What’s new in the mobile market?
The Mobile World Congress showcased the latest in mobile technology. Global smartphone sales could soon top two billion units.
Costa Rica firms ready for new U.S. Tax Law
Starting on Jan. 1, 2014, local agencies will be able to locate U.S. taxpayers who have accounts with them.
New tax could push cruise ships away from Caldera
Tourism business owners fear that a tax increase could force cruise ship companies to use ports in Nicaragua or Panama.
Are Ticos getting hooked on credit cards?
A new report by Costa Rica's Central Bank shows that more Ticos than ever before are using plastic for their purchases.
Sansa Airlines offers discount rates on domestic flights
Passengers must present their Costa Rican identity card or residency permit to take advantage of the offer.
Regional ag ministers agree on program to fight coffee fungus
The roya fungus has damaged 64 percent of coffee crops in Costa Rica, officials said.
Costa Rican exports increased by 7.2 percent in January
Microprocessor components are still the top export product.
Why can’t Central America trade more?
A World Bank report finds that poor roads, bad bureaucracy and inefficiency are hampering business in the region.
Finance minister publishes list of tax delinquents
Outstanding tax debt totals some $26 million.
Seven new hotels to open in the next two years
Costa Rica’s hotel occupancy capacity has increased in the past two years.
ExpoViajes helps Ticos travel the world
Some 717,000 Costa Ricans traveled out of the country in 2011.
Mall Multiplaza del Este to add 80 more stores
Work also includes renovation of current facilities and the addition of 1,100 parking spaces.
AMCHAM elects new board
Café Britt founder Steve Aronson was elected president.
Only 35 percent of Costa Rican corporations will pay taxes on time
Those failing to pay corporate taxes will be blocked from doing business starting Feb 1.
Iberia to increase seats in flights to Costa Rica
Airline carried 194,000 passengers between Madrid and San José in 2012.
Number of cruise tourists decreased in the Caribbean
Authorities say cruise ship staff are warning passengers that Limón is dangerous.
Decree helps fight coffee fungus
Thousands of hectares of Costa Rican coffee plantations have been damaged by a plant fungus known as “roya.”
Economic, climate crises raise risks: WEF
Experts, who were asked to rate 50 global risks, suggested the risk of growing wealth gaps was the most likely to materialize, followed by unsustainable government debt and rising greenhouse gas emissions.
Somebody find me a doctor!
A new website offers detailed information on services of 125 doctors in Costa Rica.
Tourism associations at odds over industry statistics
CANATUR President Juan Carlos Ramos said that the group’s recent survey is accurate and includes 120 companies.
AMCHAM awards corporate responsibility
Twenty-six companies with more than 40 projects participated in this year’s ceremony.
Costa Rica's inflation registers 4.26 percent in November
A decrease in fuel prices prevented higher inflation.
Costa Rica exports buses for the first time
A Korean-owned company based outside of San José expects to sell 100 buses in the region in the next two years.
Smashburger opens first Latin American restaurant in Costa Rica
New restaurant is located at Lincoln Plaza mall in San José.
iPhone 5 to arrive in Costa Rica on Dec. 14
Local phone companies have not yet announced service-plan options.
Starbucks’ most expensive coffee is from Costa Rica
The U.S. chain is selling $7 cups of a limited edition brew made from Costa Rica’s Finca Palmilera.
Decree could help boost liquefied natural gas imports in Costa Rica
Officials hope to replace petroleum imports with cleaner natural gas.
Davivienda Financial Group takes control of HSBC
Bank plans to expand operations in El Salvador, Honduras and Panama.
Eurobond sales to help Costa Rica pay down debt
Finance Ministry and the Central Bank will define a payment plan to avoid affecting the exchange rate.
86% of world’s unemployed get no income support: ILO
In Latin America and the Caribbean, 40 percent of workers have unemployment insurance.
Energy players must find common ground
ICE could no longer generate the energy required to meet increased demand.
‘Jawboning’ on interest rates
Low-risk bet: Convert dollars to colones.
Presidential decree ends photocopying row
Student rights advocates took to the streets in reaction, and last week, a demonstration outside of the assembly turned nasty,
Exporters see threat in dollar exchange rate
If the colón were to rise against the dollar, the survival of local exporting companies would be threatened.
Construction in China: Opportunities for Costa Rican firms
Nowadays, the People’s Republic of China is a huge open market, which offers vast opportunities for the construction industry.
Costa Rica exchange rate to stay at ₡500 into 2013
For the rest of 2012 and into 2013, pressure on the Costa Rican colón’s exchange rate versus the dollar will be downwards.
Could Costa Rica become another Greece?
The Tico Times spoke to Planning Minister Roberto Gallardo, the one in charge of coordinating Costa Rica’s ever-growing public sector.
Chinchilla signs tax laws, announces loan
President Laura Chinchilla signed three tax and finance bills into law on Tuesday that will help close tax loopholes and remove Costa Rica from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s “gray list.”
Informal workers: It’s the payroll taxes!
Caja payroll headcount numbers are much harder than fuzzy census estimates.
Coffee symposium to give growers a boost
Some 300 scientists and academics to attend a series of seminars that include more than 450 presentations.
New ‘eco-friendly’ Marriott airport hotel
Courtyard Marriott has the distinction of being that prestigious chain’s first hotel built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) specifications.
Hacienda Pinilla auction to benefit NGOs
The sprawling Pacific coastal property Hacienda Pinilla is on the market. High-end buyers are taking notice, while owners say profits will help fund nonprofit aid groups in the northwestern province of Guanacaste.
Costa Rica targets strategic trade deals
Costa Rica targets strategic trade deals across the globe.
How to make money by protecting forests
For the past 28 years, César Vindas has staked his plot on a beautiful piece of land in Los Santos region of southern Costa Rica. With the help of the National Fund for Financing Forestry, he’s able to reduce his carbon footprint and protect the forest. You can, too.
Hope for cutting red tape in Costa Rica?
Laura Chinchilla’s National Liberation Party administration has started a low-key project to apply technology to help get government off ordinary citizens’ and entrepreneurs’ backs.
Costa Rica’s 2013 budget a controversial move
Finance Minister Edgar Ayales on Monday presented the Legislative Assembly with the administration’s 2013 budget, which cuts spending on infrastructure projects, but not the public payroll.
Housing market changing
After a boom-bust bubble cycle in the Pacific coast area, real estate property appreciation there and in the Central Valley is once again positive.
Escazú Mayor Barahona: Local government can work
Escazú Mayor Arnolodo Barahona and his progressive Yunta Progresista Escazuceña party wrested control from national political parties in 2010 elections. Two years later, the mayor tells The Tico Times what he’s accomplished.
It’s getting easier to go solar in Costa Rica
For years homeowners in Costa Rica largely have been locked out of the solar option by high pricing and lack of infrastructure. That’s quickly changing, making solar energy a viable option for energy consumers who want to save money and the planet.
Chinchilla’s trip: What you need to know
President Laura Chinchilla wraps up a tour of Asian nations China and South Korea. What big business plans will she bring home for Costa Ricans?
At big hotels, convenience is king
Hotel managers play wise with planning out the concept to stop guests from going overboard with eating and drinking.
100 years later, Canal to make history again
When finished, the waterway’s annual capacity will be double, from 300 million tons to 600 million tons.
President’s fiscal agenda gets needed boost
Administration officials are relieved that a political stalemate in the Legislative Assembly seems to be over, as lawmakers approve a series of bills to help reduce the fiscal deficit. But will the measures work without reining in public-sector spending?
Labelling not easy for organic food vendors
Every Saturday in San José's Barrio Aranjuez, vendors at Feria Verde, a farmers market, offer healthy organic food that shoppers can't find in supermarkets. But getting the government to certify their products as organic isn't simple.
Costa Rican inflation: The 2007 breakthrough
Costa Rica is now operating in an inflation range that was an impossible dream for two generations.
U.S. drought to drive up local food prices
One of the worst droughts in the history of the United States will likely have an impact on food prices in Costa Rica, experts say.
How to read Costa Rica’s unemployment figures
Employment is one of those slippery economic statistics that is easily misunderstood.
Moín Port could attract foreign investment
Costa Rica’s Caribbean ports need a makeover to compete with 21st century shipping needs. APM Terminals’ Paul Gallie tells The Tico Times how his company can help draw foreign investment to a region that badly needs it.
Companies receive nod for carbon efforts
The Environment Ministry recognizes nine Costa Rican companies for private initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. For the government, private sector efficiency is a win-win situation.
Franchising a good option for start-ups
According to the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce, one of the most viable options for business start-ups is franchising. Find out why franchises have been so successful despite a global economic downturn.
Astronaut delivers motor mock-up
The motor is revolutionary, developing thrust on the basis of expelling super-hot plasma gas.
Costa Rica economy ‘on track,’ Vice President Liberman says
Second Vice President Luis Liberman heads the Chinchilla administration’s economic team. Will his experience in the private banking system help Costa Rica weather rough economic seas?
Lesson: Careful who you recommend
Top Costa Rican politicians wrote letters in favor of former Finance Minister and his wife, both forced to resign last April.
Biz owners challenge Costa Rican Tourism Board
Tourism Board officials a no-show at forum.
Hotel and restaurant owners showcase goods at 2012 Expo
Three days of service industry demonstrations.
For exchange rate, 5 years of stability
In the late 1970s and early ’80s, Costa Rica suffered its worst currency devaluation in history. Today, exchange-rate stability is considered one of the country’s economic victories.
S&P warns of new credit risk
Central America’s sovereign debt “is faced with growing credit risks,” a report noted.
Costa Rica to expand private renewable energy markets
Government goal is to have 95 percent of the country’s energy come from renewable sources by 2014.
Costa Rica: A tale of two economies
Foreign direct investment in Costa Rica increased to a record $2.1 billion in 2011. Growth is projected at double the rate of the U.S. economy. So why is everyone still complaining?
Central Bank: Costa Rica economy has momentum
Despite low consumer confidence, the Central Bank reports this week that the country's production figures are better than expected. That's good news for the economy.
For builders, Expo offers one-stop shopping
Sector sees opportunity in automotive sales.
Is the worst over for language schools?
The Instituto Británico is closing its doors in June but other local language schools think they have what it takes to bounce back from the 2008 economic downturn.
In Costa Rica cigar bars, puff away – for now
Businesses hope Costa Rica's new anti-smoking law won't affect their operations.
Costa Rica needs more taxes ... eventually
Some experts say there's only one way out of Costa Rica's ongoing fiscal deficit problem: new taxes.
Are the eggs on your plate free-range?
Humane Society International launches a program in Costa Rica to convince restaurant and store owners to better market eggs produced from free-range chickens. But consumers still need education, the head of the program says.
Grainger comes to Costa Rica
Industrial supply giant opens fourth location in Central America and the Caribbean.
Starbucks to sell Tico brand in Costa Rica store
Bella Vista coffee selected by international coffee giant
Electricity rates increase in Heredia
ARESEP announces rate hikes for businesses and homes 2012-2013.
Are U.S. chains taking over Costa Rica?
U.S.-based franchises are finding an increasingly open market in Costa Rica. Today, 171 foreign franchises operate here. How will it affect local businesses?
Costa Rica secures $670 million loan for hydroelectric dam
The project is slated to start generating energy in 2016.
Bill to transfer Telecom control advances
The bill still faces one more round of discussions before being signed into law.
Academy helps protect intellectual property
The Justice Ministry, Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce and other groups created the Costa Rican Academy of Intellectual Property to help train public and private agencies to protect intellectual property rights.
Medical tourism businesses expect growth
Companies see opportunities in medical travel.
Chinchilla outlines new fiscal measures
The president wants to implement four measures in order to prevent a financial crisis in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica welcomes two new hotels
Starwood Brand unveils new properties in Costa Rica
It’s easy to unwind in a college town
Heredia has to have a lot to offer to keep fickle student bodies interested.
Spanish learners hit stride in Heredia
Many students traveling to Costa Rica to learn Spanish head straight to the coast. But language schools in Heredia think they'll teach you more.
From coffee to condos, Heredia grows
Since 2000, Heredia’s population has outpaced the rest of country in terms of growth.
Business leaders form new U.K.-Tico Chamber
After years of pondering the idea, U.K. business owners and Tico leaders joined the U.K. Embassy in inaugurating the United Kingdom-Costa Rica Chamber of Commerce.
Visitor data reliable, says tourism official
ICT officials claim they provide a wealth of information generated from Immigration Administration data.
Are Costa Rican Tourism Board numbers inflated?
Association for the Protection of Tourism says industry is losing competitiveness.
Deals still available at Expomóvil
Hundreds of cars and special financing attracted car lovers.
Audi introduces new compact SUV
Despite the Q3’s diminutive stature, the vehicle is long on Audi luxury and options
Check the VIN
When buying a car, checking a vehicle’s 17-digit vehicle identification number can provide useful information.
Buying a car in C.R.: What should you know?
Buying a car in Costa Rica can be tricky. Financing and tax rates can be a burden. We’ll help you through the process.
University lab taps the power of the sun
Solar association reunites to promote solar energy.
Hybrid cars gain ground in Costa Rica, still face hurdles
Choices for electric and hybrid cars are limited, but alternative fuel-enthusiasts are pushing their growth.
Ascot mining to expand Costa Rica gold operations
The company has explored 12 percent of its two-kilometer concession area
Will conflict affect Costa Rican gas prices?
Expert say U.S. and European sanctions against Iran will not directly affect Costa Rica but if conflict continues gas prices could rise.
British MPs eye Tico environmental program
A delegate from the British House of Commons visits Costa Rica to learn about this country’s environmental services payment program.
