The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, September 3, 2003

LONG STRETCH: U.S. midfielder Shannon Box (R) battles for the ball with Tica Emilia Solano in Monday night’s friendly in California. The U.S. won the game 5-0.
AFP/TT

Chiquita Suspends
C.R. Banana Purchases
Costa Rican banana producers responded with outrage yesterday following an announcement by U.S. company Chiquita Brands that it is suspending the purchase of Costa Rican bananas for a minimum of 10 weeks due to international overproduction, according to a press release issued by the National Chamber of Independent Banana Producers (ANAPROBAN).
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Casa Alianza Accuses U.S. Priest
Regional child advocacy group Casa Alianza yesterday filed a complaint in the Alajuela Prosecutor's Office against former U.S. priest Alfredo Prado for allegedly celebrating mass and marrying couples in the San Isidro de Grecia without the permission of the Costa Rican Catholic Church.
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Government Announces 2004 Budget,
Spending Increased by 10.8%
Finance Minister Alberto Dent this week presented Congress with the government's proposal for the 2004 fiscal budget, which totals ¢2.1 trillion ($4.9 billion) - 10.8% more than this year's.
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Shigella Responsible for
Dysentery Outbreak in Talamanca
An outbreak of dysentery caused by the Shigella bacteria has killed at least one person in an indigenous community in the Talamanca highlands of the eastern province of Limón, according to health sources.
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September 3

Editus in Concert
Ricardo Ramírez (violin), Edín Solís (guitar), Carlos Vargas (percussion) tonight at 10 p.m. with their excellent performance at Jazz Café, San Pedro. Info: 253-8933.

Belly Dance
Lovers of this Eastern hip dancing rhythm are welcome to enjoy the presentation at 8:30 p.m., at Aya Sofya Restaurant, Av. Ctrl., Ca. 21. Info: 222-2255.

Conference Memoria y Olvido de la Guerra Civil Española
By historian Paloma Aguilar, tonight at 7 p.m., Spanish Cultural Center, 200 north, 200 east of Santa Teresita Church. Info: 257-2919.

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Chiquita Suspends C.R. Banana Purchases
By Tim Rogers
trogers@ticotimes.net

LEFT HANGING: Chiquita suspension has banana producers worried, angry.
AFP/TT

Costa Rican banana producers responded with outrage yesterday following an announcement by U.S. company Chiquita Brands that it is suspending the purchase of Costa Rican bananas for a minimum of 10 weeks due to international overproduction, according to a press release issued by the National Chamber of Independent Banana Producers (ANAPROBAN).

On Monday, Chiquita, through its local subsidiary Cobal Ltda., notified Costa Rican banana companies that sell to Chiquita that the suspension will take effect Sept. 14, the release said.

Although the overproduction occurred in Colombia, Guatemala and Costa Rica, Chiquita reportedly is suspending only its purchases from Costa Rica, where wages and cost of production is higher.

ANAPROBAN denounced the decision as irresponsible, and claimed the suspension would bankrupt 15 local companies and result in 4,000 workers losing their jobs. The Chamber estimates $10 million in lost revenue.

Chiquita spokesmen were not available for comment at press time.

ANAPROBAN president Edgar Quirós noted that, in the past, Chiquita compensated for international overproduction of bananas by limiting purchases for each producer country. This time, however, Chiquita will continue to purchase bananas from Colombia and Guatemala, where workers are paid "starving wages" and labor conditions are "embarrassing," Quirós charged.

Chiquita also will continue to export bananas from the Costa Rican plantations it owns on the Atlantic coast.

Quirós accused the banana giant of punishing Costa Rica for having labor laws that provide Tico workers with higher salaries than banana farmers in other countries. He said the suspension was based on a "cold mathematical formula" that makes a mockery of Chiquita's corporate ethics code.

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Casa Alianza Accuses U.S. Priest

Alfredo Prado

Regional child advocacy group Casa Alianza yesterday filed a complaint in the Alajuela Prosecutor's Office against former U.S. priest Alfredo Prado for allegedly celebrating mass and marrying couples in the San Isidro de Grecia without the permission of the Costa Rican Catholic Church.

Prado, 75, was allegedly expelled from San Timoteo Church in San Antonio, Texas, where authorities reportedly are investigating allegations the former priest sexually abused children, according to a Casa Alianza release.

Casa Alianza claims it is investigating several complaints filed against the priest here, as well.

"It is worrisome that a priest was expelled from his church in his country and is now in Costa Rica celebrating religious acts," said Casa Alianza director Bruce Harris. "Authorities need to investigate if he has committed a crime here."

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Government Announces 2004 Budget,
Spending Increased by 10.8%
By Fabián Borges
fborges@ticotimes.net

Finance Minister Alberto Dent this week presented Congress with the government's proposal for the 2004 fiscal budget, which totals ¢2.1 trillion ($4.9 billion) - 10.8% more than this year's.

"This budget is the result of an enormous effort to control public spending," Dent said. "It reflects this administration's commitment to maintaining a responsible fiscal policy that guarantees the country's economic stability, while at the same time ensuring that social programs will receive the resources they need."

Under the proposed budget, funding for Congress and the Judicial Branch will increase by 10.5% and 12.7%, respectively. The Supreme Elections Tribunal will receive a 36.7% increase that will be used to develop and implement an electronic-voting program for the 2006 elections.

As an austerity measure to reduce the fiscal deficit, most government ministries were ordered to limit spending growth to under 10%. Most complied and have budget increases of only 5.1%, Dent said.

But given the current government's priorities, the Justice, Security, Finance, and Housing Ministries will receive an average budget increase of 12.6%, Dent explained.

"It's important to continue to invest in developing human resources, ensuring citizens' safety and improving tax collection, even in times of limited financial resources," he said.

Overall, funding for social programs will increase 16.7% in 2004, totaling $1.6 billion.

More than 50% of the social-programs budget will be earmarked for the Education Ministry, which will receive $917 million - 20% more than this year. The increase of funds will be used to hire 2,300 new teachers and set aside funds for pension payments, which will increase 13% to $546 million.

Dent claimed the government cannot afford a large increase in social spending because 78.6% of government spending is already tied down by pensions, salaries and interest on debt bonds. The only way to increase spending would be for Congress to approve a much-needed fiscal reform package, he stressed.

"Only a small part of the funds generated by that tax package will be available to spend," the Minister said. "Most of the funds must be used to pay down the country's debt."

Dent stressed the need for the tax plan, noting that government revenues in 2004 will total only $2.5 billion, roughly half of the total planned expenditures. About half of the year's expenses will need to be financed through debt bonds.

By law, Congress must give the budget priority treatment. As of yesterday the Congressional Budget and Finance Commission began studying the several-thousand-page report, which they must have completely analyzed by midnight Oct. 25.

After that, the budget will be debated on the floor of Congress until Nov. 29, when a final ruling approving or rejecting it must be issued.

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Shigella Responsible for
Dysentery Outbreak in Talamanca
By Fabián Borges
fborges@ticotimes.net

An outbreak of dysentery caused by the Shigella bacteria has killed at least one person in an indigenous community in the Talamanca highlands of the eastern province of Limón, according to health sources.

Health Minister Rocío Sáenz yesterday announced that a special team of Health Ministry and Social Security (Caja) doctors was sent to the area in a helicopter Tuesday morning to study the outbreak and provide emergency medical assistance to those infected.

Residents of the communities affected have traveled down the Talamanca Mountains to La Estrella Valley to confirm the death of a three-month-old girl and report a full-blown outbreak of dysentery.

"Outbreaks of Shigella are generally caused by polluted sources of drinking water," Sáenz explained. "Indigenous populations generally receive their water from underground wells and direct connection to rivers. It's likely that a group of people crossing Talamanca had the illness and polluted the water supply. We are in the process of uncovering the source of the problem and measuring the magnitude of the outbreak."

The team of specialists sent to the area visited the communities of San José Cabecar and Bajo Bley and issued a report on the outbreak with a series of immediate measures the government must take to combat the disease in the area. At press time, the report had not been released.

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