Problematic border tax could be reinstated soon

December 9^th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) Unofficial sources report that Costa Rican authorities are eager to reinstate a problematic new border tax at the Nicaragua border by Sunday in order to take advantage of the large number of Nicaraguan nationals expected to head north for the holidays.

The $5 tax had to be suspended a little more than a day after being implemented the last weekend of November as hundreds of travelers unaware of the new tax had nowhere to pay the fee at the border.

The problems occurred because self-service machines that were supposed to allow travelers to pay the fee at the border were never installed.

Besides the machines, the tax can only be paid at branches of the Bancrédito bank, which forced hundreds of travelers to backtrack to Liberia – an hour’s drive south of the border, in order to pay the tax.

The ensuing chaos forced authorities to temporarily suspend the requirement to show proof of payment of the tax.

Unofficial sources now report that authorities are eager to reinstitute the tax by Sunday, as one of the busiest seasons at the border gets underway.

In addition to the $5 fee, travelers will also be required to pay a new $2 fee in order to have their baggage checked by special machines.