A total of 428 hotel companies in Costa Rica owe the Social Security System, or Caja, some ₡942 million ($1.8 million), the Caja reported.
The hotel with the biggest debt is La Condesa, located in the province of Heredia, north of the capital, with ₡94.5 million (some $187,000) in debt. Grecem MRJ is the second-largest debtor, owing the public health care system ₡89 million ($177,000), followed by Hotelería Corporativa Morazán, which owes ₡48 million ($95,000).
Luis Diego Calderón, head of collections at the Caja, said some companies received collection notices. A judicial process to collect on outstanding debts exceeding three months is also underway, he said.
Tourism is one of the main activities generating income for Costa Rica, and the country receives an estimated 2 million tourists annually, mostly from the United States and Canada.
Costa Rica’s public health care system, which provides universal coverage, is funded in large part by contributions from businesses and workers.
