Costa Rica jumped four spots to 55th place in a new competitiveness survey released Tuesday by the World Economic Forum.

The Global Competitiveness Report is calculated by an Executive Opinion Survey, which is conducted by the World Economic Forum, as well as research institutes and business organizations in the 133 countries surveyed. The survey measures each country across 12 central pillars and analyzes over 100 criteria to create a final ranking.

The Global Competitiveness Report is a comprehensive 492-page document that details the analysis behind each ranking and provides a synopsis of the positive and negative elements of each country.

Costa Rica has improved from its rank of 59th place in the report's 2008 edition and it is the highest ranked Central American country, with Panama receiving the next highest ranking at 59th. Since 2006, Costa Rica has seen a 13-position improvement, one of the largest ranking improvements among the surveyed countries. According to the World Economic Forum, Costa Rica's commitment to education, good governance standards and production and export diversification, such as high-tech products and eco-tourism, continue to improve the country's global competitiveness ranking.

Costa Rica's highest ranking was in the sector of primary education, where it ranked 29th. The country earned a No. 1 ranking in the category of “Primary Enrollment,” which is under the Health and Primary Education pillar.

The lowest rankings were in the areas of macroeconomic stability, where Costa Rica ranked 101st, and in infrastructure, in which it was ranked 82nd. The report also said “red tape and rigidities in different sectors continue to affect the country's business environment.” The most problematic factors for doing business in Costa Rica were listed as inefficient government bureaucracy, inadequate supply of infrastructure and difficulty in acquiring financing.

Costa Rica is also considered in Stage 2 of economic development, meaning it is considered a developing country. Underdeveloped countries are considered to be in Stage 1, while developed countries are considered to be in Stage 3.

Costa Rica's rankings with 12 measured pillars

1. Institutions – 47
2. Infrastructure – 82
3. Macroeconomic stability – 101
4. Health and Primary Education – 29
5. Higher Education and Training – 44
6. Goods Market and Efficiency – 47
7. Labor Market Efficiency – 36
8. Financial Market Sophistication – 79
9. Technological Readiness – 62
10. Market Size – 77
11. Business Sophistication – 41
12. Innovation – 34

Top 3 ranked countries

1. Switzerland
2. U.S.
3. Singapore

Turning the corner into Costa Rica's election season, as more campaign banners grace the sides of buildings and car bumpers, political parties are counting the size of their war chests in preparation for a spending spree.

Though the February 2010 presidential election cannot be bought via commercial space on TV channels or noisy perifoneos (car-mounted speakers) in the streets, the final tally is tangentially affected by dollars accumulated, said Gilberto Gómez, accountant for the Supreme Elections Tribunal.

“Those who receive more money tend to get more votes,” said Gómez.

According to the tribunal's latest numbers, the National Liberation Party (PLN) has a secure lead in the coffers, with three times as much money raised by the runner-up, the Citizen Action Party (PAC).

Laura Chinchilla, former vice president in the administration of President Oscar Arias and considered the president's handpicked replacement, has the party's $1.9 million at her disposal.

Ottón Solís, an academic and long-time politician, is next in line with financial backing to the tune of $559,000. Otto Guevara, with the Libertarian Movement, trails with $159,000.

However, the political scene is still evolving and could be vastly different at the time of the next campaign filing at the end of this month.

Adding to the uncertainty of the political landscape are new campaign finance rules that could affect the final vote.

See the Sept. 11 print or digital edition of The Tico Times for more on this story.

The implementation of a controversial traffic law designed to eradicate bad motoring habits and reduce the accident death toll has been delayed until March 2010.

Offending motorists were liable to be fined and, in some cases imprisoned, as of Sept. 23 had the law not been postponed following a vote Monday at the Legislative Assembly.

Forty-six out of 57 legislators voted in favor of suspending the law so that Congress can modify its sanctions, deemed by the majority to be too severe.

Under the proposed law, drivers were liable to be fined between $39 and $388 for a range of offences which included driving while talking on a cellular and performing a U-turn.

The Ministry of the Environment and Telecommunications (MINAET) presented a strategy on Tuesday to fight climate change and push Costa Rica towards its 2021 carbon neutrality goal.

The plan, which incorporates transportation, reforestation and energy among the sectors that require continued improvements, places a special focus on specific procedures that companies can follow to “green” their businesses.

MINAET established several guides for the reduction of water consumption, emissions and waste and the use of efficient energy. Vice Minister of Environmental and Water Quality Lidieth Carballo said 80 companies have submitted requests to the government institution for help implementing the guides' strategies.

She said the idea is that companies will be able to reduce their carbon emissions while promoting their product as one that doesn't harm the environment.

“When a company promotes a product and a process that is cleaner, it is more competitive in the market,” she said. “The company reduces environmental risks and helps carry us toward where we are going – C-neutrality.”

As far as carbon capture is concerned, the vice minister said Costa Rica has increased the amount of forested land from 21 percent to 51 percent in the last 10 years.

A recent study by Yale University master's students revealed that reforestation alone would not account for all of Costa Rica's carbon emissions. The study concluded that Costa Rica must target the transportation sector, which accounts for 70 percent of the fossil fuels consumed in the country, to achieve the 2021 goal.