Today's Stories: Costa Rica Should Reduce Public Debt, IMF Says Five Year Old Girl Killed by Rottweiler Fruit Exports Grow Talking Taxi Meter?

Happy 60th Birthday! Coca Cola is celebrating it's 60th year in Costa Rica. No matter what the occasion, Coca Cola is a favourite with Ticos, making it the most sold beverage in the country. Coca Cola began operations in Costa Rica in November of 1944, establishing itself in the area that is still known as "la Coca Cola", 200 meters north of the Hospital San Juan de Dios in downtown San José. In 1995, the plant was move to it's current location in Calle Blancos. Coca Cola in Costa Rica is the 5th largest contributor to the economy.

In its latest assessment of the country, the Washington-based IMF pointed out public debt has risen to 55 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, and called for both a reduction in spending and improved tax collecting methods.

"Rolling back tax revenue earmarking, strengthening the finances of the pension system, keeping the wage bill under control, and improving the performance of the public enterprises" should be priorities for the Costa Rican government, the IMF said.

But at the same time, the IMF lauded the country's efforts to strengthen debt management and approved "efforts to lengthen debt maturities and to develop the market ... to reduce the need for foreign currency instruments."

The IMF assesses the state of the economies of all its member countries on a regular basis.

Five Year Old Girl Killed by Rottweiler
Five-year-old, Mayra José Chaves Jiménez, girl was fatally attacked by her pet rottweiler, after becoming entangled in the animal's chain.

Mayra José went out into her yard on Wednesday and got tangle in the dog's chain, as he was tied up at the time. The dog became emotional and bit the little girl in the leg. Mayra José's mother picked up the girl and tried to attack the dog, when suddenly the dog became violent and attacked the little girl, severing her carotid artery, bleeding to death

The rottweiler had been a pet of the family for about two years. The family lived in  the Finca Santa Isabel, located in the centre of Bagaces, south of Liberia, in the Guanacaste province.

Members of the Bagages Red Cross were on the scene and tried to save the little girl, but to no avail.

The dog had no history of attacks and according to the family veterinarian, was up to date on all vaccinations. The dog was destroyed by police at the request of the owner of the dog, the father of the little girl.

In June, another rottweiler almost killed a two-year-old girl, mangling her leg and leaving her with head injuries.

A study by the Hospital de Niños (Children's Hospital) found that 308 children were attacked by dogs last year in Costa Rica.

Rottweilers are an exceptional guard animal. The breed is categorized as highly intelligent and very easy to train. Rottweilers need constant companionship and physical contact with it's master, doting affection like no other dog. However, a rottweiler needs to be dominated or it will dominate, including it's master and must be trained as such from a pup and reinforced at all times.

According to the Children's Hospital statistics, 70% of the attacks by dogs occur with the boundaries of the dog owner's property and people close to the pet.

Veterinarians are quick to point out that anyone who has a dog has to take precautions with a pet dog.

One of the major reasons for dog attacks are the condition in which the dog is kept. A dog that is constantly tied up or closed in, can become very stressed and can result in the dog becoming violent and prone to attack.

In February, President Abel Pacheco issued a decree making pet owners responsible for the actions of their animals and requiring that pets have enough space and are treated humanely, so that they aren't inclined to attack people.

According to Health Ministry figures, there are 1.2 million dogs in Costa Rica, or one dog for every three residents.

Fruit Exports Grow
The Costa Rican exports of bananas, pineapples, cantaloupes, watermelons, and mangoes increased by 12 percent his year's first semester, as compared to the same period in 2003.

A report from the Government's Economic Council shows that the overall sales of fruit abroad went from $447 million January-July 2003 to $500 million the first six months in 2004.

The leading markets for Tico fruit are the United States, the European Union, and Russia, according to the Foreign Commerce Promoter (PROCOMER).

Pineapple, with a 34 percent increase, and bananas, that went 5 percent up, were the products whose sales abroad performed the best in the period analyzed.

Talking Taxi Meter?
The Constitutional Court (Sala IV) has ruled that taxi's have one year to install "talking" meters - "marias" as in they are known in Costa Rica - in their cars.

The new system of maria would announce at high volume the amount of the fare.

The ruling stems from a "recurso amparo" - appeal - by Carlos Eduardo Moraga Gatgens who is blind, alleging that he cannot see the cost of the fare.

The MOPT is required to study the technical changes required to complete the court's ruling.

Edwin Barboza, national coordinator for taxi drivers, said that his organization was never consulted and the court ruling took them by surprise.

Barboza added in his interview with the daily Spanish newspaper Diario Extra, that they now have to search for a "talking maria" and hopefully they can find one in Spanish. He doesn't believe a Japanese speaking maria will serve the purpose.

Barboza was quick to add that what happens now it the customer is also deaf in addition to being blind? And where do the judges think taxi drivers will get the money to pay for the new marias?

 A taxi driver who refuses to accept a fare from a blind person can lose his license.

Blind Man Refused Entry to Restaurant
In an unrelated case, the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of Gerardo Mora Rodríguez, who is also blind and was refused entry to a restaurant with his trained guide dog.

The court's ruling is one that owners of businesses respect the "Ley de igualdad de oportunidades para personas con discapacidad" - giving disabled persons equal opportunities.