No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveICE Faces Record Fine for Charging Unauthorized Fees

ICE Faces Record Fine for Charging Unauthorized Fees

The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) faces a fine for unauthorized service fees charged to the telecommunications company Radiomensajes, the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP) reported this week.

The fine, of more than ¢1.5 billion ($2.6 million), is the largest amount ever imposed on a public institution in Costa Rica.

According to ARESEP, from Oct. 1, 2005 to Jan. 31, 2009, ICE overcharged Radiomensajes for use of a 900 number. Though ICE set up the 900 number for the telecommunications company, ARESEP reported that over the three-year span ICE withheld 28 percent of the earnings generated by the phone service.

The authorized amount of the tax that could be withheld for the service was 3.86 percent.

Regulatory officials estimated that the amount of earnings retained by ICE totaled ¢305,137,688 ($535,329). ICE must reimburse Radiomensajes the withheld amount, as well as pay the fine to the National Treasury, which is five times the amount of money withheld, ARESEP said in a news release. ICE, Costa Rica’s longtime telephone monopoly, is expected to appeal the fine in the

Administrative Contention Court

.

If the issue is brought before the court, it will mark the second time ICE has disputed regulatory intervention by ARESEP in the past two months. In September, ARESEP proposed a decrease in electricity rates through the remainder of the year due to savings earned by the reduced cost of fossil fuels. ICE disputed the rate reduction in the

Administrative Contention Court

, though the court ruled in favor of ARESEP, and electricity rates were lowered as of Sept. 10.

–Adam Williams

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica Hunts for Nicaraguan Hit Squad After Exile’s Assassination

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) is investigating whether a hit squad tied to Nicaragua’s Ortega-Murillo regime is targeting exiled critics on its soil....

Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest,...

Costa Rica and U.S. Strengthen Border Scans and Biometric Cooperation

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem met Wednesday with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to discuss security and migration, following her offer in Costa...

Costa Rica Green Hotels Lead Global Sustainable Tourism

Costa Rica’s reputation as a leader in sustainable tourism grows stronger every year, with our green hotels setting a high bar for eco-conscious hospitality...

A Costa Rica Love Story: From Rustic Cabina to Separate Dreams

My Tica wife and I have been together for over a quarter century. When we met, I was living a simple life here. Three...

Honduras Seizes $2 Million, Gold-Plated Pistols in Drug Raid

Honduran authorities struck a blow against drug cartels, seizing over $2 million in cash, war rifles, and flashy gold-plated pistols in Copán, a northwest...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica