Thursday, November 5th, 2009
The construction at the National Stadium has a preview of between 30% and 35% since construction began last March by the company Anhui Foreign Economic Construction (AFEC).
The stadium will seats 35,000 spectators and was built through a grant from the Chinese Government for a totaling $ 83 million.
Óscar Arias, President of the Republic, today visited the Parque Metropolitano La Sabana in San José, Costa Rica where works are constructed, which is expected to be used for the next transfer of power in May 2010.
“When the new National Stadium is completed, it will certainly be a great gift for all Costa Ricans, for athletes, for the players and the sport loving public,” said Arias.
“We had to 88 Chinese workers who initially focused on the placement of the piles. There are currently 631 workers concentrated in the bleachers of the stadium and others will come soon to assemble the roof structure. Initially it was anticipated that construction would last 23 months with the completion in February, 2011 but we hope we can finish a few months earlier because the weather has been very favorable, “said Osvaldo Pandolfo, Deputy Sports Minister.
The building will feature soccer field, running track, offices for 32 sports federations, eight meeting rooms and lounges for skills. It will also have preferential rooms, one to preserve the history of the National Stadium and other special guests to meet on occasions like handover, press conferences and cultural and art exhibitions.
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Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Costa Rica’s government has launched a tender to design, build and operate a new container terminal at the Limón-Moín port complex in Limón, the Comisión Nacional de Concessiones (CNC) – national concessions board – project design director Eduardo Navarro said.
The new terminal will handle cargo that previously went through the port of Limón, which will stop receiving cargo in 2015 and be converted into a tourist port.
The new terminal, budgeted at us$560 million, would have a capacity to move 1 million TEUs in a first phase, while a second phase, costing us$250 million, would further expand capacity, Navarro said.
The tender process for the terminal first began in April, but was delayed while the Contraloría General de la Republica (comptroller general) and CNC amended the bidding rules, according to Navarro.
Modifications to the bidding rules were published in the country’s official gazette yesterday.
The new terminal is part of the government’s master plan for port development over the next 35 years, and represents the first step in the process to concession the Limón-Moín port complex, Navarro said.
A study carried out previously by Dutch consulting firm Royal Haskoning indicated two possible options for the complex: either privatizing both ports, or building a new, competing facility next to Moín.
The government originally proposed that the Limón-Moín complex be offered in concession to a single private developer.
However, the move faced opposition from different sectors, including exporters’ chamber Cadexco, which said the port should be offered to multiple operators to avoid a monopoly.
Costa Rican President Óscar Arias originally expected to complete the concession of Limón-Moín before his term ends in May 2010.
However, this is now unlikely to happen, as the contract for the new terminal will not be awarded before end-2010, according to Navarro.
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Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Tropical Storm Ida formed in the southwest Caribbean The ninth named storm of the hurricane season, Tropical Storm Ida, has arrived. The storm system is located in the southern Caribbean, just south of Nicaragua. It is producing heavy rains, thunderstorms and winds of about 57 miles per hour.
Within the next day or two the storm is predicted to cross Nicaragua and Honduras. It is expected to weaken as it crosses land, but then emerge back over the Caribbean to restrenghten. It is possible that the storm will peter out over land, however.
The National Hurricane Center’s latest forecast puts the Tropical Storm at the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula by mid-day Monday. Low wind shear, warm seas and high moisture in the Caribbean are creating conditions favorable for the storm to persist.
Three computer models predict that Ida will make it into the Gulf of Mexico, but the tracks do not appear to be pointing toward Costa Rica. It is too early to tell whether this storm will affect the weather in Southwest Florida.
Tracking forecasts are uncertain because the steering currents in the Caribbean are weak. Forecasters predict that the storm will stay stationary for a day or two before moving north.
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Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Discover how to make a dream your reality, live and retire in style by moving and investing in the Magical Paradise of Costa Rica!
Moving and living in Costa Rica is on the rise today. A lot of people are opting for Costa Rica as one of the best places to spend the best years of their life. Costa Rica is an enthralling country located in the isthmus of Central American between the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. When this country was discovered by Christopher Columbus in the 1500s, he named the country “Costa Rica” which means “rich coast” in English. This is because this lovely country has a rich and vast coastline.
Let’s look at what makes Costa Rica so attractive for expats. A very low rate of crime (no society is crime free), a low cost socialized health care system, inexpensive housing, a wealth of every imaginable activity to stay busy and happy, with a few excellent online English newspapers (top10costarica.com (#1), amcostarica.com, and ticotimes.net), cable and Direct TV with all of the U.S channels, high speed internet, wonderful state of the art malls to go to the latest movies (lucky for us all the movies here are kept in English with Spanish subtitles), buy whatever new cloths you need from brand name chains, all the fast food chains from North America (KFC, MacDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco bell, subway to name a few), state of the art hospitals and cosmetic surgeons, lots of bilingual college students at the bars, great surf for the novice beginner to the veteran surfer (competitions going on yearly), simply put there’s plenty to do. This is the land of unlimited and exciting business opportunities for enterprising a foreigner. Moreover, most people can live on less than $1,500-2,000$ monthly excluding rent. Some live for less and some for more depending on their lifestyles.
When you take into account all of these factors and such intangibles as a more peaceful and laid back way of life – no price is too high to pay for living in a unique tropical paradise like Costa Rica. Housing is only a fraction of the cost and it is in most prime area of Central America not to mention hired help to keep that house tardy is a steal. A full-time maid costs around $10-20 per day. Utilities such telephones, electricity and water are much lower than in North America (much, much lower). Public transportation (taxis) is excellent and very inexpensive, so you don’t really need a car.
Faced with the spiraling cost of living, oppressive taxes and a slew of government regulations in the U.S., people of all ages including baby boomers and entrepreneurs, are searching for an affordable place to reside outside of the United States without sacrificing their current lifestyles. Costa Rica may be the place you are seeking.
You may also form a tax sheltered corporation and write off most of your business expenses. Foreigners are not required to pay taxes on external income. Internet connections average around $25 a month and the service is excellent making it very feasible to do business on a global level.
For those who wish to buy, housing prices can start around $35,000 with financing available (only need 6% down and a company like www.gapinvesters.com can finance the rest for you). Beach front property may be purchased but is usually more expensive (depending on the location).
This beautiful little country has the warmth and flavor of Mexico, without the anti-Americanism and fear of expropriations, the physical beauty of Guatemala without a large military presence and climate of fear, the sophistication of Brazil without the abject poverty or violent crime and more winter sunshine than Hawaii of Florida with fewer people.
Combine this political stability and year round spring-like weather in the Central Valley (72 degrees average), the friendly people who actually like Americans and it is easy to see why Costa Rica has become tops on the list of expatriate havens. There are more Americans living there per capita than any other country outside the U.S. The country has become very Americanized, so Americans should feel right at home.
IMPORTANT: There are also certain legal aspects that you need to keep in mind while moving to Costa Rica. There are two types of legal status that is given to a foreigner who settles down here depending on their monthly income. One status given is the “pensionado” if the monthly income of the person is a minimum of $600. The status of “rentista” is given to people who can show a monthly income of $1000 each month for the last five years (more detailed info at top10costarica.com).
Costa Rica satisfies every need of any individual. This country is truly considered paradise on earth and you must see it for yourself. It is worth spending your hard earned money to buy your home in this wonderful land.
Are you starting to plan your retirement and worrying about how the state of the economy will affect your life style after you turn 65? Are you watching your friends make plans to cash in their paper assets, move to a smaller home, and cut down on spending? This is what many people are doing in the face of a recession in the United States right now. But you imagined having a little money to travel, visit Paris maybe, or go on a cruise. Is all of that just a fantasy now?
Well some people have discovered out how to make the dream a reality and retire in style by living and investing in paradise! It all begins with the real estate market. Those who know say the real estate market in Costa Rica is one of the most stable in the world, and prices are easily comparable to US property or lower. You could easily find a beautiful beach house for $250,000 overlooking the ocean. Or buy a piece of land near the beach for $100,000 and build your dream home. Imagine spending your days walking on the beach, a drink on the terrace, watching the sunset, and socializing with your new friendly friends who share the same enthusiasm.
You may think it sounds crazy, that people only go to Costa Rica on vacation, but that’s no longer true. More and more foreigners are living in Costa Rica, especially Europeans, Canadians, Americans and other foreigners. And they are all doing it the same way by investing in property which will only go up in value for years to come, all while living in the sunshine!
The following are just a few examples of the things that make it so easy to live the dream and retire in Costa Rica:
ONLY 2 HOURS AWAY Costa Rica is only 2 hours away from Florida and all the comforts of home. Take a log weekend in Miami and do some shopping, or grab a connector flight to visit your family, and have them come visit often! And be careful who you invite to come visit you, it is so easy to get to Costa Rica that they will certainly come!
ESPANGLISH Maybe not everyone speaks English (unless your in Lemon), but no matter where you are, there is probably someone around who will be able to translate if need be. A large majority of the population can speak at least some English, and most of the private schools are English Immersion, so from a young age many of these kids are bilingual. And hey, why not take some Spanish lessons yourself? Stretch your brain a little and make some friends while you are at it. Please try a great military product if you feel learning a new language is to tuff known as “Rosetta stone”.
COST OF LIVING The cost of living is comparable to the US if not much lower. There are some items which are shockingly inexpensive, while others are what you are used to at home (fast food chains (KFC, MacDonald’s, Burger king), cloths etc). Groceries, restaurants and shopping tend to be what as you are used to, however workers such as a maid or gardener are much less expensive than in the US (labor is cheap all around from mechanics to whatever else you can think of). It truly can be a blessing to have people around to help you with the daily choirs of life.
HEALTH CARE Health Care in Costa Rica is known for its quality and inexpensive price tag. Many of the doctors are trained in the US or Europe, and hospitals are very modern with all the latest equipment and technologies. Not to gossip but Costa Rica is known for its movie star plastic surgery!
MEDICARE Both the Costa Rican government and Medicare and are making it extremely easy for ex-patriots to receive their Medicare cheque in Costa Rica through a network of banks in now offering direct deposit to your Costa Rican bank account.
VISAS & LEGAL ISSUES Do I need a visa, or how does it work? If you are 45 years or older you can apply to be part of a retirement program set up by the Costa Rican government to encourage foreigners to come to Costa Rica. Benefits include tax exemptions and other incentives, but the greatest thing is that you don’t have to pay tax on your retirement income in Costa Rica!
CAN I OWN PROPERTY IN COSTA RICA? In Costa Rica foreigners are in no way penalized when purchasing property. Foreigners have the same rights as a Costa Rican and the law will treat them as an equal. You can also incorporate your own company and purchase the property through your company for additional tax breaks.
OF COURSE THE BEAUTY… The words Cost Rica actually mean Rich Coast, a name Christopher Columbus bestowed on this country overflowing with natural beauty, lush rainforests, mountains, cloud forests, and sandy beaches. Costa Rica is world famous for its diverse natural habitat and beautiful sunsets.
So there you have it, not a bad list of reasons to rent out your house, cash in your paper assets, and retire to a beach house in Costa Rica! There may be a coming recession, but you don’t have to live in it, or let it spoil your long awaited liberation from the rat race.
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