FEBRUARY 05, 2007

A LIGHT Moment: International Monetary Fund Director Rodrigo Rato and President Oscar Arias talked on friendly terms during a conference Friday in San José geared at attracting international investors to Central America. Vice-Presidents from around the region and global business leaders attended.

INTERNATIONAL Wave Seekers: Gabi Shalem, 25, and Manuel Bar-Gil, 26, from Haifa, Israel, took to the waves this weekend in Playa Hermosa, on the central Pacific coast. Costa Rica is becoming an increasingly popular destination for surfers from around the world; about 100,000 traveled here during the first six months of last year, according to the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT).

Political and business leaders from around Central America called for their countries to turn their words into action Friday during the conclusion of an investment seminar in San José, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.

The Costa Rican textile sector Friday expressed worry over the country's delay in ratifying the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA).

The Spanish airline Iberia recently announced plans to add daily direct flights to San José beginning in June, according to a statement from the Costa Rica Tourism Institute (ICT).

Leaders Call for Action Following
Central American Investment Forum

Political and business leaders from around Central America called for their countries to turn their words into action Friday during the conclusion of an investment seminar in San José, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.

Developing infrastructure, simplifying bureaucratic processes and promoting education were among steps the leaders agreed they must take in order to combat unemployment and poverty in the region and attract international investors.

In attendance at the conference were International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director Rodrigo Rato, World Bank vice-president for Latin America Pamela Cox and the Vice-Presidents of Guatemala, Eduardo Stein; Nicaragua, Jaime Morales; Honduras, Elvin Santos and El Salvador, Ana Vilma Albanez. Additionally, representatives from businesses including Volkswagen, Telefónica Internacional, Intel, Hanes Brands and Duke Energy came to San José for the conference, according to the statement.

“In Central America, and definitely in Costa Rica, what has happened is a paradox of being a place flooded with reports and analysis, diagnostics and conclusions, but empty of policies and coherent actions with these diagnostics,” said President Oscar Arias, calling for his counterparts to work toward commercial accords and encourage free trade.

Rato advised attendees that macroeconomic stability is fundamental to attracting investment. Proving to investors that “their savings won't end up consumed by inflation” is an important step, he said.

-Tico Times

Textile Sector Concerned over
Country Not Ratifying CAFTA

The Costa Rican textile sector Friday expressed worry over the country's delay in ratifying the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA).

The Costa Rican Textile Chamber and the National Association of Textile Exporters said in a statement that they fear the United States will not renew its Law of Commerce and Development, passed in 2000, if Costa Rica doesn't ratify CAFTA. This law, which has given the textile sector preferential access to U.S. markets, expires in 2008.

The law benefits countries that are part of the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), which is why “for the Costa Rican textile sector, the ratification of CAFTA is so important as a vehicle that will allow us to continue exporting in the future,” the statement said, adding that the textile industry is one of the country's most important exporters, producers and job providers, the statement said.

The groups released this statement shortly following a meeting between Citizen Action Party (PAC) leader Ottón Solís and President Oscar Arias. Solís, just back from a visit to Washington D.C., argued that although CAFTA advocates have said Costa Rica must ratify the agreement or risk exclusion from CBI, this is not the case.

Solís said U.S. legislators assured him that the United States is not considering modifying CBI, a unilateral U.S. initiative, and that Costa Rica's inclusion in CBI does not depend on the country ratifying CAFTA.

Meanwhile, Arias agreed with Solís that CBI does not depend on CAFTA's ratification and said he will continue his strong push for the Legislative Assembly ratify the trade agreement, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.

-ACAN-EFE and Tico Times

Iberia Airlines Increases Flights to Costa Rica

The Spanish airline Iberia recently announced plans to add daily direct flights to San José beginning in June, according to a statement from the Costa Rica Tourism Institute (ICT).

The airline currently makes seven flights weekly to Costa Rica from Spain: six with layovers in either Guatemala or Panama and one direct flight. In June, it will add 10 direct fights per week between Madrid and San José, the statement said.

These new flights will be serviced by Airbus A340-600 aircrafts with capacity for 232 passengers.

Iberia announced this decision Friday at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) in Madrid. Representatives from ICT, along with those from the National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR) attended the fair. Among their goals was attracting European airlines to fly here to regain tourists lost when the Spanish airline Air Madrid shut down late last year (TT, Feb. 2).

Tourism Minister Carlos Benavides expressed “enormous satisfaction” over Iberia's decision, which he said “demonstrates the enormous trust in the growth of European tourism to Costa Rica,” the statement said.

-Tico Times

Year Kicks Off with 0.95% Inflation

Costa Rica started off 2007 with 0.95% inflation during January, down from the 1.17% inflation registered during January last year, according to a statement from the National Statistics and Census Institute (INEC).

This marks the second lowest inflation registered in January during the past decade; 2003 saw the lowest inflation at 0.65%.

Among the goods and services that saw the most inflation last month were foods and beverages, health care services, home goods, education and entertainment.

Last year, inflation in Costa Rica registered 9.43%. The Central Bank hopes to close out this year with less than 8% inflation.

The coastal native Americans of the U.S. Pacific Northwest lived in a land of such plenty that they used to hold potlatches, ceremonial feasts for an event such as a wedding, in which the host distributed gifts according to each guest's rank or status. Between rival groups, the potlatch often involved extravagant or competitive giving and destruction of valued items as a display of superior wealth. The Bellevue-Redmond area of Seattle, Washington, where I stay when I am in the United States, is one of the places where native peoples lived and celebrated their prosperity. You may think that much has changed, but, in some ways, things are not so different after all.

This is one of the upscale neighborhoods in Seattle, the area where Bill Gates decided to establish Microsoft. As I stroll through this neighborhood and look around, I can't help but contrast it with Costa Rica.

As if string theory weren't enough, traveling from a remote mountain area of Costa Rica to this place in less than a day gets me to wondering about the true nature of reality.

This is the place where…

Everybody has a bread machine and a juicer, but nobody makes bread or juice.

You can buy five different kinds of salt.

Everyone sleeps under a duvet.

Wedding costs begin at $15,000.

Nobody throws garbage on the ground.

There is a special park just for dogs.

Nobody has to watch commercials any more.

Grocery shopping is available online – free delivery next day.

The hospital reception area features floor-to-ceiling aquariums and a classical pianist.

No one ever overcooks vegetables.

There are no stray dogs.

Everyone has an outdoor hot tub and speakers hidden in fake rocks.

Yards with dogs all have invisible fences.

No one knows, thank goodness, what a chayote is.

Bus drivers are always helpful.

All appliances (large or small) must match the decor of the kitchen.

Dog sitters charge $25 a night.

People leave blenders and toasters on the sidewalk for Goodwill pick up.

Everyone has at least one gas fireplace.

Black beans are a gourmet item.

During the Christmas season, stores feature a section for doggie stocking stuffers.

No one jaywalks.

Everyone eats organic.

You can get your money back on merchandise for any old reason.

UPS comes two or three times a week.

People stop their cars for pedestrians to cross the street.

For just $1 apiece, you can buy one kind of lemon (yellow, thick and pulpy).

Each child has his own DVD player for the car.

The roads are perfect.

Everyone recycles.

Little girls take ballet and little boys take karate.

Landscapers charge $900 to prune two apple trees.

A four-lane highway is a very small one.

Phone cable stays put.

All the traffic lights work.

CDs are passé.

Everyone has a redwood deck.

Sushi is a standard item in grocery stores.

So what is my conclusion? Is Bellevue, which means “pretty view” in French, better than where I live? Better than my view of the Costa Rican mountains from the windows of my funky cabin?

Mmm, I don't think so.