Archive for January 15th, 2009
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
The death toll from Costa Rica’s magnitude-6.1 earthquake has risen to 23 after three more bodies were found.
The country’s judicial investigative agency says the latest bodies were uncovered at the site of a collapsed restaurant in the town of Cinchona. The victims were the restaurant’s owner and two of his children.
The quake rocked the Central American nation last Thursday, unleashing massive landslides.
President Oscar Arias called for international aid for the devastated area on Wednesday.
German Formula One race champion Michael Schumacher, who was in Costa Rica for a previously scheduled appearance at a traffic safety event, toured the disaster zone and noted sadly that “so many families have lost their homes.”
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) announced Tuesday it will offer credit options for those afflicted by the Jan. 8 earthquake.
The options will consist of various types financing for homeowners and businesses.
The home financing credit will be available to those who have income and who are interested in rebuilding their lost homes, fixing their damaged ones, or building a new home from scratch.
BCR will also offer financing to quake victims who have limited income.
In addition to these two financing options, BCR is also offering affected families who are considered to be extremely poor 100 percent financing to rebuild homes. BCR said the bank would offer financing as soon as possible to developers who are rebuilding damaged homes.
Another credit option will consist of BCR identifying small and medium-sized businesses that were affected by the earthquake with the goal of restructure their credit lines and loosen up conditions.
For questions on these new implementation, call BCR, Vivienda Interés Social (Social Benefit Home) at 2287-9000, ext. 1104.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
ICE Takes Advantage of Lack of Competition in Telecommunications Market.
Consumers in Costa Rica can expect to see big changes in their bills this month, both positive and negative. An anticipated drop in gas and internet prices will be counterbalanced by an increase in telephone and electricity fees. The main player in these changes is the ex-state monopoly, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE). This time, under the pretext of the newly implemented free trade agreement, the telecommunications wing of the company has decided to do things on its own terms, ignoring the strong disapproval of the Public Services Regulating Authority (Aresep). (more…)
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
