The Ministry of Hacienda has launched an internal audit into potential flaws in its new customs management system, ATENA, following complaints about reliability and costly delays. The review, now underway, examines issues raised in pilot tests and questions the value of a multimillion-dollar contract taxpayers are funding.
ATENA forms one pillar of the broader Hacienda Digital initiative, aimed at modernizing tax and customs operations. Officials awarded the contract on October 4, 2023, to a consortium led by Productive Business Solutions Costa Rica S.A. and WEBBFONTAINE, with a total value of $23.47 million. Progress has lagged, and early trials exposed gaps that could affect daily trade flows at ports and borders.
The audit stems from a citizen tip received by the Comptroller General of the Republic on December 23, 2025. That office forwarded the matter to Hacienda’s Internal Audit Department, citing the ministry’s expertise to handle it without overlap. The department confirmed it had logged a similar report and slotted it into its 2026 work plan under a project assessing export and transit processes.
Union leaders at the Ministry of Hacienda have pushed hardest for scrutiny. Denisse Ballesteros, general secretary of the Sindhac employees’ union, filed formal requests starting in late October 2025. In a November 27 letter to Comptroller Marta Acosta, Ballesteros called for an immediate halt to ATENA rollout until its readiness is clear. “We ask for urgent intervention to stop all actions tied to the National Customs Service’s computer system,” she wrote, “while we clarify its status before the public and confirm this monetary investment is worthwhile.”
Ballesteros pointed to pilot tests where the system faltered, labeling it unfit for the General Directorate of Customs. Earlier letters to Finance Minister Rudolf Lucke on October 30 and November 7 urged his direct involvement. “You must take an active stance as the top leader here and step into what’s really happening,” she pressed. With no replies forthcoming, the union plans to file a constitutional appeal.
Customs staff in the Technical Management Directorate flagged specific hurdles after initial runs. They noted missing safeguards in user profiles, leaving internal and external actions vulnerable. The role matrix, built into ATENA without full tweaks, demands a full overhaul since it strays from the existing TICA platform.
Other red flags include spotty real-time checks that disrupt cargo inspections, incomplete testing cycles with unfinished code, and partial data mirroring from TICA. Interoperability trials remain outstanding, as do fixes for tariff loading errors. These lapses raise doubts about handling real-world exports by sea, air, or land transit.
Hacienda Digital seeks to streamline filings across taxes, customs, and financial tracking, but ATENA’s stumbles echo wider rollout pains. The full TRIBU-CR tax platform debuted in August 2025, yet customs upgrades have trailed. Critics argue the delays drain resources without gains in efficiency or revenue collection.
Ministry spokespeople have stayed silent on the audit’s scope or timeline. Requests for comment from Lucke’s office and project leads, dating back to January 19, went unanswered. The Internal Audit unit plans to fold the probe into its annual efforts, but no firm end date is set.
For businesses reliant on swift imports and exports, the uncertainty hits hard. Peñas Blancas and Paso Canoas, key border posts, already juggle backlogs. If ATENA deploys unpatched, it risks snarls in declarations and payments, potentially hiking costs for shippers and consumers.
Ballesteros tied the push to broader accountability. “Every cent paid comes from all Costa Ricans’ pockets,” she said. The union’s actions spotlight how tech overhauls, meant to cut red tape, can instead breed waste if rushed.
As the audit advances, eyes turn to whether Hacienda will pause procurement or demand fixes from contractors. The Comptroller’s hands-off approach leaves the ministry to lead, but pressure mounts from workers and watchdogs alike. Resolution could shape trust in future digital shifts, with trade volumes at stake.
In a nation where customs duties fund public coffers, getting this right matters. Hacienda collects billions annually through borders, and any slip could ripple through budgets for roads, schools, and health. Stakeholders wait for facts, not promises, on a system pitched as a trade booster.
The probe arrives as Hacienda enforces stricter penalties for import lapses, including 15-day business shutdowns since August 2025. Yet internal tools under fire undermine that stance. For now, the audit grinds on, testing commitments to transparent spending in a tight fiscal year.
