THE Legislative Assembly voted Tuesday to make seatbelt use mandatory, Assembly representatives announced Wednesday.

If President Abel Pacheco signs the law, seatbelts will be required for both drivers and passengers. The driver of a car will be fined ¢8,000 ($19) if either the driver or any passengers are not wearing their seatbelts.

Lawmakers passed the law in first debate in December (TT, Dec. 24, 2003). In February, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) reversed a seven-year opinion and said such a law is constitutional (TT, Feb. 20).

The court also said drivers cannot be held responsible for the use of seatbelts by adult passengers, but its opinion is not binding for lawmakers.

Under current law, minors under 18 and adults over 65 are required to use seatbelts. Children under 12 also are prohibited from sitting in the front seat of cars.

Libertarian party member Federico Malavassi called the law “unconstitutional.” But supporters, such as National Liberation Party deputy Luis Gerardo Villanueva, said they are trying to protect lives.

According to Social Christian Unity Party deputy Olman Vargas, approximately 700 people die each year in traffic accidents in Costa Rica, and another 1,000 to 2,000 people are injured on streets and highways.

The law making seatbelt use obligatory will not go into effect until it is signed by Pacheco and published in the official government newspaper La Gaceta.

THE Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) has agreed to evaluate an injunction filed by the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce questioning a reform to the country’s customs law.

While the court studies the matter, customs officials are prohibited from applying the controversial new measure, which made it impossible for hundreds of importers to retrieve their goods from customs warehouses.

The problems began on March 5, when the country’s new General Customs Law went into effect. Under the new law, all imported merchandise is required to include a difficult-to-obtain shipping document that in some countries, including the United States and several European countries, is confidential, and in several other countries, such as Brazil and most Asian countries, doesn’t even exist (TT, March 12). The goal of the measure is to reduce tax evasion at the country’s ports.

However, the new rule caused all kinds of problems for importers, according to the Chamber of Commerce. This prompted the chamber to file the injunction March 10, alleging that Article 86 of the law (which requires the document) violates people’s right to conduct commerce.

In an attempt to end to the chaos that swept over customs, the Customs Administration sent several letters to customs officers attempting to clarify the application of the law.

Despite the clarifications, importers, particularly those who imported merchandise from South America and Asia, continued to report problems.

Meanwhile, the customs law was sent back to the Legislative Assembly to be reformed by legislators. However, legislators have yet to agree on how the undertake the reforms.

FUELED by higher housing and transportation costs, Costa Rica registered a monthly inflation of 0.46% in March.

Inflation for the first three months of this year was 3.49%, the National Statistics and Census Institute (INEC) reported on Monday.

Inflation for the first three months of 2003 was 2.12%. Inflation over the last 12 months was reported at 11.34%.

March’s inflation numbers mark an important decrease in the inflation rate, which between October 2003 and February of this year had been growing at more than 1% each month.

Despite the drop, it appears difficult for the Central Bank to meet its target inflation of less than 9% in 2004 (TT, March 26). Annual inflation in 2003 was 9.87%.

THE export of organic products in 2003 was greatly assisted by the European Union’s recognition of Costa Rica’s organic certification norms, the Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday.

Costa Rica is the only Central American country to have received recognition from the European Union for organic products, according to the ministry.

Last year, Costa Rica exported 4.6 million kilograms of organic products, including 2.7 million to the European Union.

Costa Rica’s organic producers also exported to the United States (1.7 million kg), Taiwan, Switzerland, Japan and Canada. It was the first year statistics on organic exports were compiled, according to the ministry.

Costa Rica exported more than 3,900 certified organic products, including bananas, cocoa, coffee and blackberries, as well as processed items such as banana puree, dehydrated banana, brown sugar, concentrated juice and essential orange and passion fruit oils.

Organic farming can be environmentally advantageous because it avoids the use of pesticides, and also economically advantageous, particularly for smaller farmers, according to the ministry.

Organic coffee, for example, sells for 30-100% more than conventional beans. Local distribution of organic products has increased. Three years ago, organic products could be found in only two or three places, according to the ministry.

Today they can be purchased in at least 19 places in the country (TT, March 5).

The United Kingdom-based Soil Association reviewed more than 400 research papers and concluded there is scientific evidence to support the claim that organically grown food is safer and healthier for the body than food conventionally grown using chemicals and pesticides.

WITH the goal of promoting commercial, industrial and agricultural trade, Puerto Rico Governor Sila Calderón and a Puerto Rican commercial mission will visit Costa Rica April 21-24.

Governor Calderón is expected to reopen a trade office for the Central American region in Costa Rica in preparation of the Central American Free-Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with the United States, AFP wire service reported.

Puerto Rican companies specializing in the distribution of plastic bags, molds, tubes, cleaning machinery, medical services and cereals, among others, will attempt to establish contacts with Costa Rican firms and network with potential local distributors.

Those interested in meeting with the Puerto Rican business leaders can call Laura Castro at 253-0126 or e-mail lcastro@crecex.com

TOMÁS Dueñas, president of the Costa Rican Investment Board (CINDE), this week warned business leaders that failure to approve the Central American Free-Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with the United States would put an end to Costa Rica’s hopes of continuing to attract foreign investment.

“I believe the non-approval of CAFTA is a scenario we should avoid,” Dueñas told members of the Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) at the organization’s monthly luncheon on Tuesday. “…It’s clear there is no other option.

Not entering CAFTA would be the end of foreign investment in the country. It would be serious,” he said.

However, Dueñas said he remains confident CAFTA will be approved by the Costa Rican and U.S. governments in the coming months. Forming part of the CAFTA bloc of countries would serve as an invaluable tool that would make the country a more attractive destination for foreign companies to set up shop, he said.

He mentioned the Costa Rica-Mexico Free-Trade Agreement as an example of how a trade agreement can increase investment between participating countries. Since the trade agreement with Mexico went into effect in 1995, the amount of Mexican investment in Costa Rica has multiplied several times.

However, to make the most of the investment opportunities CAFTA would create, Costa Rica will need to work hard to make itself a more competitive investment destination, he said.

The CINDE leader stressed there’s urgent need to improve education in Costa Rica, particularly in English and information technology, and enact more flexible labor laws, draft a clear, fair and internationally competitive tax code, improve roads, ports and telecommunications infrastructure and reduce red tape at government institutions, particularly at customs offices.

While he admitted Costa Rica was a dominant force in the region in terms of attracting foreign direct investment, Dueñas stressed the need for the country to set its sights higher and compete with international investment-attraction powerhouses such as Chile, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico and Singapore.

In terms of business competitiveness, Costa Rica ranked 45th out of 95 countries monitored by the World Economic Forum in its 2003-04 Global Competitiveness Report, which was released last October.

While Costa Rica ranked above countries such as China (46), Mexico (48), Panama (59) Dominican Republic (61) and El Salvador (63), it still ranked far below most of the countries it aims to compete with, including Singapore (8), Ireland (21), Malaysia (26), Chile (32) and Czech Republic (35).

Finland was ranked number one on the list, followed by the United States.

THE Minister of Public Works and Transport, Javier Chaves, announced this week he will allow the Comptroller General’s Office to decide the fate of airport rate hikes at JuanSantamaríaInternationalAirport.

Chaves and the Technical Council of Civil Aviation (CTAC) have put on hold a request by airport operator Alterra Partners to raise fees for users of the airport until the Comptroller makes a decision.

The fee issue must be solved so that financing and construction at the airport can continue, Chaves told the press on Tuesday.

Alterra, which owns a renewable 20-year concession to operate and renovate the airport, requested the hike last year to ensure the “financial viability” of the project (TT, June 27, 2003).

Renovations to the airport that have yet to be completed include boarding areas and a main ramp, according to La Nación.

Part of the debate centers around the amount Alterra has spent on development and financing – obtaining credit for the project. The amount allotted for these expenditures in the original contract was $3.4 million, but last year Alterra figured the amount at $18 million.

In November CTAC determined $15.4 million to be the appropriate figure. Now the Comptroller must decide if  this interpretation is correct in order for financing from the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank to continue and for any decisions on rate changes to be made, Chaves said.

So far Alterra has invested $120 million in the renovation of the airport, Chaves said, adding he expects the total investment to reach $180 million.

The fees under consideration for increase are charged to airlines and companies operating in the airport in a number of different areas, and are usually passed on to the public through plane ticket prices.

CTAC asked the Public Services Regulation Authority (ARESEP) to raise the fees for seven aeronautical services by 21.88% to 167.49% and lower 14 fees by between 1.79% and 9.52%, according to La Nación.

In March 2003, the Comptroller General’s Office slammed Alterra for what it said was excessively increasing airport fees the previous year, to the tune of more than $21 million (TT, March 28, 2003). The Comptroller said Alterra overstated construction and operation costs.

Chaves said he is confident that this issue will be resolved and Costa Rica will continue building the “most modern airport in Central America.”

U.S. PHOTOGRAPHER Gary Kwiatek’s work juxtaposes images from around the world – churches in Cartago, the EiffelTower in Paris, geese in Freemont, Calif. and even platform shoes in Tokyo. And now his exhibit “Reflections in an Ageless Eye” is on display at Floralvarado Gallery in Curridabat, east of San José.

Bringing traditional photography into the modern age, Kwiatek uses computer software to distort and filter his photos to transform them into art pieces. Through cross hatching, pixelation and other modern techniques, his pieces possess a surreal quality about them.

At a distance, many of the pictures appear as if they could be paintings. Kwiatek, 48, plays with color, keeping the majority of his work very natural while altering or bringing out vibrant tones in selected shots. A strong sense of balance and space draw the observer into the photos.

“The images I share are my humble attempt to teach your eyes to see again, or perhaps for the first time,” Kwiatek wrote in his mission statement.

FOLLOWING that mission, one of the more striking shots is of a girl in a park in Japan entitled “It’s All in the Eyes.” From underneath a red burka, two heavily made-up eyes peer out. The picture seems to capture and return the viewer’s stare.

Another outstanding shot, taken in Costa Rica, captures a butterfly display. The vibrant colors of the butterflies against the background’s bright white turn something that would otherwise appear harsh and mundane into something eye-catching and attractive.

Other shots capture the subject in a different way, such as a series of reflections from Las Vegas.

“It’s whatever I see that strikes my interest,” said Kwiatek, explaining the diversity. “It’s also about catching the right moment.”

On viewing the exhibit, one will likely notice another series, of women’s shoes. While in Japan, Kwiatek was struck by the large, seemingly out-of place platform shoes that appeared to be everywhere.

“It was just something so out of your realm of reality,” Kwiatek said. “I had to photograph it.”

AFTER all, his goal is to “introduce people to things they haven’t seen before.” In his effort to do that, Kwiatek moved to Costa Rica a month ago, bringing his work with him.

“I wanted to expose a different culture to things they haven’t seen,” he said. “I think that gave me more courage to put my work out there.”

GETTING up the courage to put his work on display is something that he’s still getting used to.

His career in photography really only began a few years ago. For more 20 years, Kwiatek was a singer living in Orlando, Fla. And working at Walt Disney World.

In 2001, he left his performing job to embark on his photography career.

“Life is cyclical,” he said. “You can tell when you’re at the end of a story and it’s time to make changes.”

Of course, he jokes, it could have simply been a mid-life crisis.

WHATEVER it was, he started studying photography after moving back to California, where he grew up.

There, he began taking pictures and built a collection of work.

While displaying his work during classes, Kwiatek found people responding favorably to his photos,  which encouraged him to enter the field professionally. Now, he says, photography is his life.

“I see the world in pictures,” he said. “When I was a singer everything was song; can’t go anywhere or see anything without thinking of the balance and seeing the composition.”

THAT idea goes both ways, since he sees the world as photography and describes his work as “how he sees the world.”

“I try to present people another way of seeing something or of seeing something they may have overlooked,” Kwiatek said.

“Some people might love my work and others might hate it,” he said. “That’s okay. As long as you take something from it, that’s all that matters.”

“REFLECTIONS in an Ageless Eye” will be on exhibit through the end of April at the Floralvarado Gallery located on the west side of the plaza in Curridabat.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon and 2-6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more info, call 280-4568.

THE seventh grade class at the CountryDay School in Escazú just completed an enlargement of the painting by J. Villa.

Villas’s painting is an allegorical celebration of the first banana and coffee export from Costa Rica and is located in the Teatro Nacional on the ceiling over the stairwell, and also recreated on the out-of-circulation ¢5 bill.

To make this art project, each student was provided a small square portion of a color reproduction of the painting and then the piece was enlarged 100 times.

The oversized parts were then painted in acrylics on a piece of cheesecloth. The class sewed all the pieces together to make the project complete.

THE painting (measuring 2 meters high and 5 meters tall) now adorns the ceiling in the middle school assembly hall.

The children who worked on this project are: Diego Bedoya, Rocío Brandau, Nadine Cordero, Reaford Crowe, Monserrat Cruz, Alexa Diaz, Francisca Gilmore, Diego Groisman, Leo Hofmann, Alexandra Kula, Ashley Kula, Daniel Mangel, Caleb and Colin Oakley, René Picado, Filippo Poma, Erika Reifer, Sara Robinson, Sebastián Rojas, Emily Sampson, Arturo Sangiao, Kelly Sullivan, Nicolas Zamudio, Yoav Cosiol, Maria Laura Hernández, Mark Hammond, Elena Lee.

TOM Lin, Roberto López, Daniel Loria, Gommert Mes, Umberto Perrone, Kathy Ramos, Laura Reilly, Andrea Sesin, Guillermo Silva, Andrés Zelcowicz, Daniel Zovatto, Lev Ben-Avraham, Jack Brennan, Pamela Calderón, Erica Dobrich, Kimberly Espinoza, Yukiko Inoue, Kim Hyung-Kyung, Stiven Koo, Juan-Luis Linares, Holly Maclaughlin, Elena Pacheco, Maite Saco, Paula Salvado and Esther Ten Zijthoff also worked on the project.

The project was coordinated by Margreet Wielemaker-Postma, the middle school art teacher.

SLOWLY, very slowly, perhaps between times of meditation and prayers, the hands of the Spanish monk Antonio de Oteiza gave form to a collection of 35 pieces of ceramics, which are now on display at the Costa Rican Art Museum.

Oteiza came to Costa Rica 28 years ago from Spain and settled at the Capuchin Convent in Cartago.

His work reflects his vision of the life, costumes, social organization, beliefs, dances and traditions of the ancestors of Costa Rica.

The collection was displayed for the first time in 1976 at the school of fine arts at the University of Costa Rica.

OTEIZA gave all of his ceramics to architect Adrián Guzmán in thanks for constructing the convent for the Franciscans. Guzmán owns the pieces on display.

The collection of ceramics can be seen at the Costa Rican Art Museum, in the eastern part of SabanaPark, until mid-June.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Sundays the exhibit can be seen free from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 222-7155 for more information.