After a visit to Limón last week, Institutional Coordination Minister Marco Vargas announced the first major government investment of the year in the growing Caribbean port province.
The investment is an installment in a series to span four years, stemming from an agreement signed last month between the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) and the Atlantic Port Authority (JAPDEVA), which promised $5.7 million during the next four years to improve tourism infrastructure in the growing port city of Limón and the surrounding area (TT, Jan. 25).
The government, Vargas said, intends to invest $121,317 in the region, to be split between social programs and local infrastructure improvement projects.
The investment includes a commitment of $14, 442 by the National Water and Sewer Service (AyA) to assure potable water to indigenous communities in Talamanca, and $40,439 dedicated to housing improvement projects.
The investment also re-affirms the Arias administration’s commitment to port modernization, as part of the project called “Limón: PortCity,” a key part of the Arias’ plan to promote the development in the region, according to a recent statement from the Casa Presidencial.
Costa Rica currently has two ports on its Caribbean coast – Moín and Limón – both managed by the Atlantic Port Authority (JAPDEVA).
Last month, on a tour of two Royal Caribbean cruise ships in Limón, Arias spoke to the importance of promoting tourism, and the associated infrastructure, in the region and promised increased government attention there (TT, Jan. 26).
