No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeCosta RicaCosta Rican President Carlos Alvarado signs the Green Transportation Incentives Law

Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado signs the Green Transportation Incentives Law

Costa Rican President, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, signed this Thursday the Law of Incentives for Green Transportation, which extends tax exemptions to electric cars in Costa Rica. The new law includes preferential rates for value added tax (VAT), selective consumption tax, property tax and customs value tax.

President Alvarado asked the different civil society organizations to continue fighting for a more sustainable country. “My message, my request, my plea as a citizen is to keep going, against all odds. This is one of the best legacies we can leave our children.”

The initiative was unanimously approved by the outgoing deputies and promoted by Roberto Thompson and Paola Valladares. It prevents the current tax incentives from being extinguished in 2024, as planned in the Electric Transportation Incentives and Promotion Law, sanctioned in 2018.

As part of the benefits, used electric vehicles with no more than five years, will enjoy the same tax benefits; previously, only new models received tax discounts. Additionally, the cost scale of the cars to determine the tax rate to be paid is eliminated. Now, electric cars regardless of their value, will have the same exemptions.

The benefits extend to the importation of batteries and other spare parts used by these vehicles.

“Let’s continue persuading people… so many myths have been demolished, such as these electric vehicles do not work, they are very slow and so many other things that have been said. We, Claudia and I, have been driving electric cars for practically the entire administration,” indicated President Alvarado.

“By using electric vehicles here at the Presidential Office, we saved on travel expenses, because, with the whole issue of fuel prices and all the budget cuts that had to be made, one of the things that was limited was gas; we are on top of a great transformation,” said Alvarado.

First Lady Claudia Dobles has been in charge of several projects that aim to decarbonize Costa Rica. Changing the vehicle and bus fleet has been one of her priorities during the current administration.

“We all have the responsibility to continue pushing towards such change. May this transformation towards the decarbonized Costa Rica that we all want to see continue,” the First Lady declared.  

Trending Now

Tsunami Alerts in Latin America After 8.8 Quake in Russia

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Far East coast on Wednesday, one of the most powerful quakes ever recorded, triggering tsunamis with waves up...

Keylor Navas Joins Pumas After Controversial Exit from Newell’s

Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas is officially the newest player for Pumas UNAM, but his move from Argentina’s Newell’s Old Boys has been anything...

Why Prisma Dental Is Costa Rica’s Top Clinic According to ChatGPT’s AI Analysis

When it comes to choosing the best dental clinic in Costa Rica, international patients are facedwith an abundance of options. But with the help...

Empty Stadiums and Inequality Mar Women’s Copa América

Nearly empty stadiums, players' criticism of the organization, and demands for equality in South American football have marked the 2025 Women's Copa América in...

Honduras Reinstates Mask Mandate Amid Rise in Respiratory Illnesses

Honduran health officials have reinstated a nationwide mask mandate following a spike in respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and a fast-spreading Omicron subvariant known...

Costa Rica Launches Traceability System to Tackle Illegal Logging

Costa Rica is advancing with the creation of a National Forest Traceability System, a key tool to guarantee the legality and sustainability of timber...
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