ANEP Calls for Protest Today
Against Wage Increase
According
to the National Association of Employees Public,
ANEP, a 3.5% increase he is humiliating,
insufficient and it does not face the waves of
increases costs. The cost of bread, gasoline,
electricity, water, telephone and other consumer
goods has risen beyond the increased salaries
approved by the Government.
Albino Vargas,
Secretary of the ANEP, calculates that this
adjustment for the second semester of the year,
represents an increase of about 5500 colones more
per month for each public employee.
That is the reason
for the call for a protest today (Tuesday) outside
the offices of the Ministerio de Hacienda, at 10 am.
The offices are located on Avenida 2 in front of the
Teatro Nacional. And the protestors hope that
Revenue Minister, Alberto Dent, will listen.
Employees of the
National Institute of Insurances ( INS), Costa Rican
Institute of Electricity (ICE, the National
Registry, Direct Tributación, Immigration, and in
addition some state hospitals and the ministries of
justice, health and transport, have agreed to
participate in the protest.
Nicaraguan
President Arrives Today
Enrique Bolaños, President of Nicaragua, visits
Costa Rica today with the main intention to smooth
relations between the countries especially in the
area of immigration.
Of late, there has been some discussion in Nicaragua
about proposed changes by Costa Rica that will
affect many Nicaraguans with unjust restrictions for
visiting Costa Rica.
More Costa Rican
groceries
Following our
story a few days back about options to obtain Costa
Rican food in the US, some readers wrote to say they
have found some products in local supermarkets.
Sindy Donahue, a tica who lives in Anchorage,
Alaska, commented she's found Salsa Lizano in a
small supermarket near her home, which surprised her
because there are not many ticos there.
Also, the company
Agroindustrial Montaña Azul S.A. informed they are
selling manioc root and heart of palm in
supermarkets in Miami, Puerto Rico, Houston and
other states.
How are the
Costarricans who live out of Costa Rica planning to
celebrate Aug. 2? If you have a story to tell about
it, write to [email protected]
Panama, Taiwan set
to hold trade pact's final talks
Panama and
Taiwan are set to hold a fifth and final round of
negotiations on a free trade agreement on August 10
in Taipei, a Panamanian official involved in the
talks said.
"Ninety percent
of the text is agreed," after seven months of
talks, said Panama's deputy minister for
international trade Meliton Arrocha.
The final version is
to be signed on August 28. It then goes to each
country's respective legislatures for ratification.
"It will open
the door for Panamanian goods to enter the gigantic
Asian market," Arrocha said.
Arrocha's Taiwanese
counterpart, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Steve
Chen, said last month that the August negotiations
will focus on market access of industrial goods,
rules of origin and services.
The free trade pact
also promotes bilateral investments. Certain key
Panamanian products including beef, chicken, pork
and tropical fruits are protected. Chen said the two
sides have discussed tariff reductions on about
1,500 agricultural imports during a recent meeting
held in Los Angeles, California last month.
Panama's only other
free-trade pact is with El Salvador, but it is also
conducting talks with Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Panama will probably
become the first nation to sign an FTA with Taiwan
by the end of the year, Chen said.
The two countries
issued a joint statement last August to make talks
aimed at a free trade agreement a priority.
Imports of Taiwanese
goods in Panama amount to US$25 million annually,
while Panamanian exports to Taiwan are more than
US$11 million.
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