No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsBusinessMandatory vehicle inspection agency seeks up to 200 percent increase in prices...

Mandatory vehicle inspection agency seeks up to 200 percent increase in prices

The Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP) announced Tuesday that RITEVE SyC, the private company responsible for certifying mandatory technical vehicle inspections, submitted rate hike requests of up to 202 percent depending on the type of vehicle.

If approved, the new costs of vehicle inspections in 2015 would increase from ₡9,930 to ₡30,030 ($18.32 to $55.40) for vehicle owners and ₡6,541 to ₡19,780 ($12 to $36.50) for motorcycle owners.

In seeking the increases, RITEVE argued that the same rates have been in place for 10 years. The company also said a contract signed with the government in 2000 states that the Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT) is responsible for defining the rate-setting model. MOPT has yet to follow through, RITEVE argued.

“For the past 10 years we have been submitting rate-adjustment requests, which according to our contract must be submitted by Nov. 15 each year, so that if approved the new rate would take effect in January,” RITEVE spokeswoman Jennifer Hidalgo said. “Currently there is no approved methodology for calculating rates. Each year we comply with the requirement of filing an increase request, but ARESEP has not approved any increases in the past 10 years. And now motorists are surprised that this year’s request is greater than 200 percent,” she said.

ARESEP spokeswoman Carolina Mora confirmed that the agency has rejected RITEVE’s requests because no calculation methodology exists. Last year, the regulatory agency rejected a 174 percent increase request for the same reason, according to ARESEP records.

Mora said ARESEP repeatedly has asked MOPT for a calculation model in order to proceed with revised rates, but the agency has received no response. RITEVE’s recent request is being evaluated by technical staff at ARESEP, and a ruling will be reported in coming days, she said.

MOPT spokesman Juan Carlos González on Thursday said that Public Works and Transport Minister Carlos Segnini is the only MOPT official authorized to discuss the rate methodology issue. However, Segnini is out of the country and won’t be back until next week.

Trending Now

How Nayib Bukele Consolidated Total Power in El Salvador

No one was surprised. El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, is now officially cleared for indefinite reelection. Congress, firmly under his control, paved the way...

Nicaragua’s Sandinista Commander Taken Into Custody

Sandinista commander Bayardo Arce, economic adviser to President Daniel Ortega, was jailed on Thursday after the government announced it was investigating him for corruption,...

La Negrita: Faith, Unity, and the Heart of Costa Rica

Today, thousands of pilgrims from across Costa Rica are arriving at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago. They come on...

Costa Rica Pacific Coast Under Warning for Tsunami-Linked Currents

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) has issued a public alert for Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, warning of dangerous ocean currents expected on Wednesday morning,...

Costa Rica Embraces IHRA to Combat Antisemitism in Region

Costa Rica has formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. This step positions the country as the sixth in...

Costa Rica Court Upholds Adults-Only Rule for LGBTIQ+ Pride March Closing Event

In a unanimous decision, Costa Rica’s Constitutional Chamber (Sala IV) has dismissed an appeal challenging the Ministry of Justice and Peace’s reclassification of the...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
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