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Natural
Beauty
Jim
Peck recently traveled around Cost
Rica and captured some of the
country's natural beauty on film and
was kind enough to share them with us.
Click
here! |
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The
Internet:
Shopping
and Paying From Home Over the Internet... Do Your Homework
First! With
the benefits come potential pitfalls, including the risk
of ID theft. Here's how to protect yourself.
Click
here. |
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Not so distant a war
Even though the actual theater is
on the other side of the world, peace-loving Costa Rica -who abolished
her army in 1948- is already suffering because of the US-Iraq war.
Ticos felt the first hit on their pockets, as fuel prices started
increasing in recent weeks. However, the sector in which the effects of
the struggle are more evident is tourism. Sector sources report a
slowing-down in activities and airlines fear collapsing if the conflict
lasts long.
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Ticos
are eating more
chicken
The
per capita consumption
of chicken has
increased 141 percent
since 1986, that of
milk has grown 29
percent in the last
five years. According
to the National
Poultry Chamber, each
Costa Rican ate an
average 45 pounds of
chicken last year, as
compared to an average
21 pounds per person
in 1986.
According to the
source, chicken has
taken over as the meat
of choice on the Costa
Rican table.
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IMF sees larger deficits
In an analysis of Costa Rican economy,
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast a larger fiscal deficit and
external debt for the current year. The Fund's figures surpass those of the
Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank. Regarding the fiscal deficit -the
excess of public spending as compared to revenues -, the IMF forecasts 4 percent
of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while the Ministry of Finance had set it at
3.1 percent.
The deficit of the external debt -the excess of imports of goods and services as
compared to exports- is estimated by the IMF at 5.2 percent of the GDP, while
the Central Bank sets it at 4.7 percent. The IMF estimates are based on its 2002
annual analysis of Costa Rica.
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Agriculture,
a priority
The
Central American
presidents held a
summit in the
Caribbean island of
Roatan, Honduras, in
order to discuss
issues pertaining
their negotiations of
a free trade agreement
with the United
States.
They discussed the
agenda for their
meeting with President
George W. Bush next
April 11, when they
will review their
negotiations of the
agreement. In a joint
statement, the
region,s presidents
pointed out that
agriculture will be a
priority, just as will
the asymmetry that
must rule the future
trade relations
between the
parties.
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