Top 10 Costa Rica

Arias Asks Business Owners To Forgo Their Salaries

In the face of the world economic crisis, Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, is asking business owners and executives to cut costs, including giving up their salaries and bonuses, before laying off employees.

“I have suggested, and this is a nice moment to show generosity and solidarity of Costa Rica, the owner of a company does not begin by removing people, he begins to reduce costs by sacrificing his salary, reducing it by half, or in total . I have done it and live neither worse nor better without my salary, that can always be used better by someone who needs it. They can introduce, in some sectors, a four day work week, to avoid unemployment”, said Arias.

The president made the statement at Casa Presidencial during an interview with the general manager of the Diario Extra, William Gómez Varga and several other members of the newspaper group that quotes itself as the most read newspaper in the country.

During the interview Arias spoke about the achievements of the past year, satisfied that the TLC debate is finally coming to a close after two and a half years of controversy and the hardships facing the world and Costa Rican in 2009.

Arias said he came to office to generate employment.

Arias reconfirmed the three priorities that he said he came to office with: generate employment, the second, to generate employment and the third, to generate employment.

Arias does not deny that the times ahead will be tough for the country, the worst perhaps in the last 80 years. However, Costa Rica is prepared fro what lies ahead and that was confirmed last week by the president of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dominique Strauss Khann, saying last week that Costa Rica is better prepared that most of the other Latin American countries.