Expo Osa Promotes
Southern Zone Tourism
By Leland Baxter-Neal
Tico Times Staff
lbaxter@ticotimes.net

Deserted beaches, virgin forests, “intense” biodiversity – the many attractive qualities of Costa Rica's final frontier, the remote Osa Peninsula on the southern Pacific coast, were promoted yesterday at the Expo Osa conference held at the Radisson Hotel in San José.

Approximately 40 businesses and organizations had booths at the event, said Luis Centeno, president of the Osa Chamber of Tourism, which put on the event.

“This is an activity with the intention of giving the micro-businesses from the area a chance to promote themselves,” Centeno said.

However, micro-businesses were not the only ones in attendance. Large hotels, major car rental companies and private airlines made their presence known with booths promoting their businesses with digital tours, colorful pamphlets and free pens.

Jhonny Cambronero, the manager and administrator of the hotel Casi Es Cielo (It's Almost Heaven) said this was his second year attending the event, which has been taking place annually for nine years.

“It helps a lot with sales, and to meet people like travel agents from tour agencies, or travel Web sites,” he said. “Ten years ago, there was not the flow of tourism as there is now. By way of these events, people can get to know more about the area.”

Government Gives Public Sector
4% Salary Increase

The government of Costa Rica decreed yesterday a salary increase of 4% for the 157,318 public employees that work here, the Labor Ministry announced.

Labor Minister Fernando Trejos signed off on the increase for the second semester of 2005. It will take effect retroactively July 1, once the decree is signed by President Abel Pacheco and published in the official government daily La Gaceta.

Albino Vargas, Secretary General of the National Association of Public and Private Employees (ANEP), said the increase, which will benefit more than 57,000 pensioned workers as well as current employees, was very low in comparison with the cost of living.

“We are infuriated, but not surprised, because we knew the government would react in this manner given the deficient fiscal policy it applies,” Vargas said, adding that the government didn't negotiate the matter with the union.

Vargas didn't discard the idea that public sector workers would protest the increase in the coming days. Last year, workers halted the country for days in protest of what they considered a dismal second-semester salary increase, among other things. The protests resulted in a larger increase (TT, Aug. 27, Sept. 3, 2004).

Inflation in Costa Rica during the first semester of 2005 was 6.86%.

A 7.3% increase for salaries of private sector workers was approved last month.

– ACAN-EFE

Boys Ages 10 and 12
Steal Car Outside Capital

Two boys ages 10 and 12 stole a car yesterday, but their attempted quick getaway ended when they crashed against a streetlight pole, police reported.

“The boys are unharmed, but it affected the neighborhood… knowing that these types of crimes are being committed by children at such young ages,” police officer Ronny Sánchez told Channel 6 TV news.

The incident took place in Moravia, a residential neighborhood north of San José. The boys stole the car after the owner, whose name was not made public, got out of his car to leave some keys at his mother's house.

“It was a matter of just two minutes. I went in, left the keys and went back out, and the car was no longer there. I never imagined that it could have been stolen by these two babies, because they're babies,” he said.

Police detained the boys, who refused to provide their full names or those of their parents.

-ACAN-EFE