No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaAs he reaches a year in charge, President Alvarado addresses Legislative Assembly

As he reaches a year in charge, President Alvarado addresses Legislative Assembly

On Thursday, President Carlos Alvarado defended his plans to tackle Costa Rica’s fiscal deficit — which he called one of the country’s main problems — and announced a plan to reduce unemployment.

The deficit of the Central American country reached 6.2% of GDP in 2017 and fell slightly to 6% last year, according to official data. The Legislative Assembly approved in October a reform that contains new taxes to reduce the shortfall.

In presenting his first work report before the Legislative Assembly, President Alvarado recalled that a year ago he had assumed power with the commitment to protect the country from the “imminent risk of an economic and social crisis due to the high fiscal deficit.”

“We were on the verge of bankruptcy, but Costa Rica was able to make a bold decision, a difficult but necessary change,” Alvarado said of the reform.

The president said that the country should still improve tax collection and be more efficient in public investment.

“After these almost 365 days of leading the country, there are pending tasks in terms of sanitation of public finances and the efficiency of the State, but we can say that Costa Rica was able to stabilize its economy and achieve greater confidence and tranquility,” he said.

Alvarado also expressed his concern about unemployment, which last year reached 12% of the economically active population, the highest rate in recent years.

To address this, he proposed actions in education, training and social inclusion, as well as promoting sectors that are the most productive in generating employment by improving access to credit.

Alvarado also discussed a number of ongoing public works and others that are about to begin to improve circulation in the congested roads of the country and modernize its lagging infrastructure.

The president also mentioned the expansion of the country’s main airports and plans to build a metropolitan electric train and a freight train in the Caribbean.

In terms of security, he stressed that his government promoted a strategy to reduce homicides, which in 2017 had reached the figure of 12.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2018, it fell slightly to 11.7 per 100,000.

Despite the improvement, the homicide numbers exceed the 2015 global average of 5.3 homicides per 100,000 people, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

“We have promoted a strategy based on technical analysis, statistics and operational excellence,” Alvarado said of the security actions.
​​ ​​

​​

​​

​​

​​
​​
​​
​​

​​

​​

​​

​​

​​
​​

Trending Now

Costa Rica Police Investigate Buried Body as Possible Gringo Tico

Police in Costa Rica are checking if a body dug up from a farm belongs to Daniel Francisco Vargas Salas, a 71-year-old man locals...

Costa Rica Court Orders Urgent Regulation of Tuna Fishing Law

Costa Rica's Constitutional Court has stepped in to push the government on a long-delayed tuna fishing law. The court partially backed an appeal from...

Juanes Lands in Costa Rica to Shoot Videos for New Tracks

Colombian singer Juanes has arrived in Costa Rica, turning our country's landscapes into backdrops for his latest music videos. The artist, known for hits...

Costa Rica Faces a Must-Win for a Place in 2026 World Cup

Costa Rica's national soccer team faces a defining stretch in their bid to reach the 2026 World Cup. With just two points from their...

Costa Rican Hotels Warn of Job Risks Amid Drop in Tourists

Hotels across Costa Rica face mounting pressures as tourist numbers dip and a sluggish dollar exchange rate eats into their earnings. From January to...

Costa Rica Landslide Tragedy as Family Buried Alive

Heavy rains triggered a deadly landslide in Piedades Sur, San Ramón, Alajuela, late Saturday night, burying a family home and killing two adults and...
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