Archive for October 16th, 2009
Friday, October 16th, 2009
The use of helicopters and airplanes by public officials for private use is hitting a new time high, with the Fiscalía filing charges against the president of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), Pedro Pablo Quirós, for using state funds to pay a helicopter for personal use.
Quirós is accused of taking a helicopter, paid for by ICE, to attend a party and attending a meeting, when the trip was for the sole purpose of evaluating damages caused to the ICE infrastructure during the Cinchona earthquake of January 8.
According to the charges filed by the Ministerio Público, Quirós is accused of “peculado” and “malversación” (graft and embezzlement) in the detriment of the duties of public office and ICE.
Last Sunday, Maureen Ballestero, legislator and vice-president of the Asemblea Legislativa, came under fire for the use of a airplane by the Ministerio de Seguridad to pick up her passport and attending a Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) party meeting in Guanacaste.
Ballestero, unlike Quirós, has apologized for her error in judgement and has accepted to reimburse the state the costs of her indiscretion.
The legislator explained that she noticed Saturday that she had left behind her passport behind in Guanacaste while she was readying for her trip Sunday at noon, calling on the vice-ministro de Seguridad for the use of the Fuerza Pública (police) airplane and while she was in Guanacaste decided to meet with PLN party leaders while in a meeting to elect candidates for the upcoming elections.
The Fiscalía has said it intends to file charges against Ballestero, but has yet to do do.
Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, has also come under investigation during his term for the use of airplanes and state vehicles for personal use.
The ministro de la Presidencia, Rodrigo Arias (Oscar’s brother), explained that in the case of the president he is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is normal to use state transport for his personal use, to maintain an image and in many cases to save time.
In addition, minister Rodrigo, said the president is the chief and commander of the Fuerza Pública and its fleet of airplanes and helicopters.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Friday, October 16th, 2009
The government wants to take advantage of the potential tax revenue of casinos that could mean some us$100 million dollars a year in revenue by proposing a new law to regulate casino and sports betting operations.
The plan was first announced last July by the Ministerio de Hacienda as a measure to address the deficit in public finances.
The law would impose a 2% tax on the gross monthly income (after paying the winners) of casino and sports betting operations and also includes charging a performance fee to a maximum of 0.5% of gross revenues per year.
The control the activity, the law proposes the creation of a Comisión Nacional Reguladora de Apuestas y Juegos de Azar (National Regulatory Commission on Betting and Gaming), which will have the power to license casino operators and impose administrative sanctions.
Once the commission is established, it would appoint a Superintendent monitor compliance with the law through its inspectors.
This is the latest, the sixth in fact, in a series of initiatives proposed by the government to regulate casinos over the past two decades.
None of the proposals ever made it to a vote, which has left the monitoring of casino operations only by way of regulations emitted by the government from time to time and Sala IV (Constitutional Court) rulings.
Roberto Thompson, vice-ministro de la Presidencia, assures this initiative will be successful, as it is a “priority” for the government.
The law would not only regulate brick and mortar casinos and sports betting operations, but also those in the “virtual” world – online gambling websites, which according to Hacienda reports, there are more than 100 operations located in Costa Rica.
The success of this project depends greatly on the ability of Thompson, whose job is to promote relations between the Poder Ejecutivo (the executive branch of power – the government) and the Legislative Assembly.
However, legislators likes José Rosales of the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC), assures that the government is not interested in passing this law, leaving it to this point in time, with only months left in the current administration, and in the midst of a political campaign.
The law would include, among others, the following rules:
- All casino and gaming houses would have to be licensed.
- All slot machines have to be registered, the operator producing an invoice and the exact location of its placement.
- Infractions could be penalized with a fine and loss licenses.
- Only those 18 years of age and over can bet or play at a casino or gaming house.
- It is prohibited to transact with customers who do not identify themselves and winnings of us$10.000 or more must eb reported.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Friday, October 16th, 2009
It’s almost the end of the year and that means the coffee harvest season is here, when some 120.000 seasonal workers are needed to harvest the national “golden” bean, from November on.
The president of the Instituto del Café (Icafé), Ronald Peters, explained that the weather is not a problem this year, as the drop in the rainy season favours coffee harvesting.
This 2009-2010 season, Costa Rica expects to harvest some 700.000 60 Kilogram sacs, a 7% increase over last season.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
Friday, October 16th, 2009
Top government officials are meeting in Limón a week from today to present an integrated plan to increase the citizen security in the province, Casa Presidencial said Wednesday.
The meeting officially will be one of the Consejo de Seguridad, which also includes members of the judicial branch.
Rodrigo Arias Sánchez, minister of the Presidencia, said that officials have been working on the plan for two months. He said the government has the obligation to provide a concrete reply to the needs of the people of Limón in security and in aspects like the permanent presence of the Fuerza Pública.
Limón province covers the entire Caribbean coast. But the area with most crime is around the city. Government officials have a big reason for being concerned by lawlessness in Limón. The Arias administration is seeking to buy out the government dock workers and turn the project over to a private concession holder.
Criminality is a blemish on that project. Rodrigo Arias said that he also would be meeting with dock workers who favor the government plan. Many are in line for big payoffs and might even obtain jobs with the concession holder.
The project Limón Ciudad Puerto is one of the key priorities of the administration.
However, Limón has been ravaged by criminal gangs and drugs. Some professionals at the Hospital Tony Facio have been threatened so badly that they have left their jobs there. Meanwhile in the streets there is frequent gunfire and murders several times a week.
Outside of street crime the area is a many transit point for drugs heading north and also for smuggled goods coming from Panamá.
Violent crime also is reported increasing further down the coast in laid back beach towns like Puerto Viejo.
Periodically there are police efforts in the area, including a much lauded 100-day sweep in the province.
The administration suggests that one answer to the crime around Limón centro is the docks project which is designed to bring more money into the area. The government also plans an $80 million facelifting with loans from international development banks. The plan is to increase the working infrastructure.
Posted in Costa Rica News | No Comments »
