Newcomers Club of Costa Rica Meeting
For women, coffee, tea, bocas, 9:30 a.m.; general meeting, 10 a.m., Hacienda Valle del Sol (Swiss Travel), Ciudad Colón, newcomerscr@yahoo.com.

Tuesday at Noon
Features a concert by Akustic Ensamble, noon, National Theater.

Tuesday Night Concerts
Offers a piano recital by Gualupe López (Universidad Veracruzana, México), playing Obras de Ponce, Nazareth , Guastavino and Armengol, Sept. 1, 7 p.m., room 107, School of Music, UCR.

Eight days after the announcement of a decrease in nationwide electricity rates by the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP), the Administrative Contention Court ordered a suspension of the discounted rates, which were expected to begin Tuesday.

The suspension was granted in response to appeals made by the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), who were to see the prices for their electricity cut by an average of 7.4 percent. The decision was announced by the Administrative Contention Court late Friday afternoon.

According to a statement released by ARESEP, the Administrative Contention Court “as a provisional measure, will enact the immediate suspension of the effects of the administrative act (cutting rates).”

Representatives of ARESEP and ICE are scheduled to meet Friday, Sept. 4, in an attempt to come to an agreement on the rates.

On Aug. 20, ARESEP announced that a nationwide decrease in electricity rates was scheduled to begin on Sept. 1. The pricing agency reported that the drop in prices was justified due to a significant decrease in actual spending needed for hydrocarbons compared with ICE's original projections. According to ARESEP, in 2008 ICE spent ¢ 97.67 million ($168,400) for thermal (petroleum-based) generation of electricity. The cost of thermal generation for 2009 is estimated to be ¢ 45.476 million ($78,406), which would indicate a savings of ¢ 52.49 million ($90,500). ARESEP felt that some of the savings should be felt by consumers.

“Our responsibility as regulators is to assure all Costa Ricans that the prices will be adjusted up or down, depending on the movement of the costs,” Regulator General Fernando Herrero said on Aug. 20. “We are not here only to raise (rates).”

The proposed discounted rates were to be applied to all companies that provide electricity service.

Costa Rica legislators are considering a bill that would make it easier for tour operators to obtain permits for vehicles.

As the law stands now, Luis Alvarado – like dozens of tour agency operators across the country – has to submit documents every 30 days to renew permits to travel on the country's roads and highways.

“Every 30 days I have to file paperwork for permits. And then I have to do it again for 30 more days, and 30 more days and 30 more days,” said Alvarado, stressing his words to emphasise the nuisance of the process. As a manager with Interviajes Costa Rica Transports Service, which has a fleet of more than five different types of vehicles, he said, “This is something that has affected us a lot.”

The legislation, which is expected to pass after second debate this Wednesday, would extend tourist transport permits for permits for two years and create a new category for tour operators, instead of lumping them with school vehicles and transportation services for workers, as it stands now.

“Tourism is one of the most important activities in Costa Rica,” said congressman Luis Barrantes. “And this mechanism that exists now (for permit renewal) is very bad, very slow and goes counter to tourism.”

Barrantes estimates that 40 percent of people visiting Costa Rica travel with various tour operators.

“To get a permit, right now, is very rigid,” he said. “This law would give more flexibility, while also creating a more just process for those operating tourist transport services.”

Following months of uncertainty, the police in the northern Pacific Costa Rican town of Tamarindo can now be certain of one thing – they won't be evicted from their station.

Officials of the Santa Cruz Municipality, in the northwestern Guanacaste province, signed an agreement with the Public Security Ministry to pay the rent for the current station – located at the edge of Tamarindo in the privately owned Cabinas Maleko – through December 2009.

The municipality, which is in charge of collecting taxes cin Tamarindo, has never funded the police station. The station, instead, has relied on private donations to meet the $1,500 per month rent at Cabinas Maleko.

The impact of the economic crisis this year caused a drop in donations, and officials worried that police would have to move the station to the nearby hamlet of Villareal, a move that was forced in 2007 due to a lack of funding. After two months, the police moved back to the edge of Tamarindo when they noticed a spike in crime.

“Villareal is too far away,” said Diego Chavarria, a Tamarindo police officer, who reasoned that the closer the police are to the area's downtown, the better the service they can provide (TT, March 27).

Tamarindo community organizations are working with developers to build a permanent station for the police on a 1,800-square-meter lot that a private developer donated to the community in 2007.

Officials have said they hope to have the new location prepared before early next year.