Great things are in store for Costa Rica’s Northern Zone, according to a presentation Tuesday at President Abel Pacheco’s weekly Cabinet meeting – presided over this week by Vice President Lineth Saborío because Pacheco was visiting the United States.
The Productive Development Strategy for the Special Economic Zone of the Northern Huetar Region, which seeks to facilitate investment, tourism, and job creation in the area, is a project that involves the entire community, according to Economy, Industry and Commerce Minister Gilberto Barrantes. The municipality of the Northern Zone city of San Carlos is sponsoring the project.
The development project will target the cantons of Upala, Los Chiles, Guatuso, San Carlos, and Sarapiquí. Barrantes, who introduced the project, said it “represents all social sectors” of the region, “coordinated to reduce poverty.” He added the initiative has the support of his ministry, the Foreign Trade Ministry and the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER), as well as the government of Canada, which donated ¢250 million ($531,915) to help jumpstart the project.
According to project representative Alfredo Aguilar, the development strategy has four pillars: infrastructure, production, education, and financing. Improving in these four areas will allow the region to take advantage of its privileged geographic position and tourist offerings, he said.
He said business and municipal leaders, public officials, church leaders, and other residents are among those who have been meeting biweekly to discuss the project.
The initiative seeks to promote investment in projects such as improved mobile phone and Internet access, support for sustainable tourism, opening industrial parks for businesses, remodeling the San Carlos Hospital, and building the North Atlantic Corridor Highway, which would run from the northwestern coast to the Caribbean port city of Limón, slicing through the Northern Zone.
