The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, February 3, 2004

NEW money for a new road: Minister of Foreign Relations Roberto Tovar (seated at right) signs the agreement with Taiwan accepting a $15-million donation for the construction of a new highway to Ciudad Quesada, in the country's northern zone.
Tico Times/Rebecca Kimitch

Construction Grew 41% Last Year
Total construction grew 41% in 2003 compared to 2002, according to statistics released yesterday by the Costa Rican Chamber of Construction (CCC). The chamber says it is optimistic about 2004 and expects it to be another good year for construction.
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Donation Brings Northern Zone
One Step Closer to San José
The road from San Ramón to the northern zone's Ciudad Quesada is long, but the road to building a new highway between the two towns has been much longer.
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Fishing Equipment Seized
In Waters Near Cocos Island
The environmental organization Marviva announced yesterday it had assisted public officials in seizing fishing equipment from the vessel "LEZA N. 1," located 11 nautical miles into the Cocos Island Marine Conservation Area (ACMIC).
(Click for more)

February 3

Newcomer's Club Meeting
Workshop in English entitled "Costa Rican Cooking with a Gourmet Touch" features Grace Woodman and Cindy Vorih demonstrating cooking ideas, 9:30 a.m. at Grace's Club House in Ciudad Colón. Info: 232-3999.

Cali Rivera Exhibition
Cali Rivera's installations and furniture will be on display through Feb. 4 at the Taller del Artista, 250 m. west of the cemetery in Tres Ríos. Info: 380-6696.

Dancing Night
The fun begins at 8 p.m. at the Café Expressivo Av. 9, Ca. 31/33 in San José. Info: 224-1202.

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Construction Grew 41% Last Year
By Fabián Borges
fborges@ticotimes.net

Total construction grew 41% in 2003 compared to 2002, according to statistics released yesterday by the Costa Rican Chamber of Construction (CCC). The chamber says it is optimistic about 2004 and expects it to be another good year for construction.

"Last year was an above-average year," said Jaime Molina, President of the chamber. "In 2003, an additional 2,749,462 square meters were constructed, compared to the average of 1,800,000 square meters reported in recent years. We believe this will also be a good year, possibly better than the last."

Most new investments in construction last year (58%) were in housing, which grew 25% and totaled 1,595,487 square meters. Four in five new residential projects were built in the Central Valley, according to the chamber.

About 42% of new housing projects were developed in the San José province. Heredia's housing boom continued - the province was home to 16% of new housing construction. The northwestern province of Guanacaste, despite containing only 7% of new housing construction, reported the highest growth rate of any province in Costa Rica.

Fueled by two new shopping malls in east San José - Multiplaza del Este in the northeastern suburb of Zapote and Terra Mall in the eastern suburb of Tres Ríos - and new tourism projects such as the Four Seasons Resort in Guanacaste, commercial construction grew 74% last year, totaling 28,991 square meters. Overall, commercial developments represented 23% of all construction projects built last year, according to the chamber's report.

Half of total commercial construction took place in San José. Heredia was home to 14% of new commercial projects, followed by Puntarenas (11%) and Cartago (10%). During the last five years, Cartago has been the province with the highest commercial construction rate, according to the chamber.

Industrial construction also boomed last year, growing nearly 83% and totaling 374,668 square meters, the chamber reported.

Industrial construction was evenly divided between the Central Valley provinces. San José was home to 30% of industrial construction, followed by Heredia (26%) and Alajuela (20%). Guanacaste, which during the past five years has had the fastest industrial construction growth rate, contained 7% of total industrial construction last year.

Molina attributed the high growth rate to "the recent growth in exports, particularly in free zones." He stressed the important role construction plays in the economy, as both an employer and an indicator of the economy's direction.

"Construction is a very sensitive area of the economy," Molina said "It's the first to slow down during the recession and the last one to take off when there is a recovery."

During 2003, the construction industry directly provided jobs for approximately 110,000 people -- 3,000 more than the year before. Construction made up 6.7% of the country's total workforce, including Nicaraguan immigrants, who make up as much as 60% of the construction sector's workforce, according to the chamber.

The construction sector also indirectly employs a large number of material producers, importers, lawyers, consultants and others, said Molina, who estimated the sector probably employs between 200,000 and 300,000 people.

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Donation Brings Northern Zone
One Step Closer to San José
By Rebecca Kimitch
rkimitch@ticotimes.net

The road from San Ramón to the northern zone's Ciudad Quesada is long, but the road to building a new highway between the two towns has been much longer.

After a 30-year wait, the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, Ministry of Foreign Relations and Taiwanese Ambassador Tzu-Dan Wu yesterday announced that a $15-million donation from Taiwan has made the first stage of a new highway to San Carlos possible.

The 29.73-kilometer project, which will connect the Inter-American Highway at San Ramón, west of San José, to the largest city in the country's northern region, will begin in April, said Public Works Minister Javier Chaves.

In addition to the Taiwanese donation, the $62-million highway project will be financed through a $35-million low-interest loan from Taiwan and $12 million from Costa Rica's National Roadway Council.

"Thanks to this joint force, we will achieve the construction of a work that will shorten the distances for the people of San Carlos, Guatuzo, Los Chiles and Upala to the Central Valley and facilitate the movement of products from this zone to markets in the center of the country, as well as to foreign markets," said President Abel Pacheco during yesterday's announcement.

The paved highway will be two lanes wide and include nine bridges. It should take a maximum of four years to construct, according to Pacheco.

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Fishing Equipment Seized
In Waters Near Cocos Island
By Steven J. Barry
sbarry@ticotimes.net

The environmental organization Marviva announced yesterday it had assisted public officials in seizing fishing equipment from the vessel "LEZA N. 1," located 11 nautical miles into the Cocos Island Marine Conservation Area (ACMIC).

It is the first such seizure this year, according to the organization. The ship Marviva II, equipped with high-tech maritime surveillance technology, provided support to Cocos Island park guards during last week's operation, in which they confiscated 131 fishhooks and a three-mile long fishing line, said Marviva representative Marcela Vargas.

The evidence will now be sent to the prosecutor's office in Puntarenas for consideration of a piracy charge.

Vargas said Marviva signed a letter of agreement with the Environment and Public Security ministries in January 2003, promising to help the Costa Rican Coast Guard and park guards protect the area.

She said the Cocos Island Conservation Area spans 12 square miles, inside of which park guards are responsible for patrols. The Coast Guard patrols Costa Rican waters outside that area.

Marviva has three ships, Marviva I, II and III, which patrol Latin American waters assisting government officials manage protected areas, according to the organization's Web site.

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Small Bills, Commemorative Coins
Officially Out of Circulation

As of last Saturday, commemorative ¢500 ($1.19) colón coins (the golden ones with the engraving of the Central Bank building on the back), as well as the ¢5 (1-cent), ¢10 (2-cent), ¢20 (4-cent), ¢50 (12-cent), ¢100 (24-cent) and ¢500 colón bills went out of circulation.

The Central Bank originally planned to remove them from circulation on Dec. 31, 2003. However, the bank delayed the decision by one month to give people time more time to turn in the old currency.

The currency is no longer valid for purchases and payments. However, the notes can still be deposited into regular bank accounts during the month of February. After that, people with leftover outdated currency must go directly to the Central Bank to exchange it for valid currency.

The Central Bank assured The Tico Times yesterday that the silver ¢5, ¢10, ¢20 coins did not go out of circulation last week, contrary to local news reports. The Central Bank plans to remove them from circulation on Dec. 31, 2005.

Silver coins are still needed to operate some of the country's pay phones.

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Wednesday October 26, 2005