Reserves Surpass Debts
For the first time since the crisis of the 1980s, the foreign currency reserves of the Central Bank of Costa Rica surpassed the debts in such currency that the institution has.

In 2004, the hard cash, deposits, and gold, among other items that are part of the reserves, amounted to $1,918 million, while the Bank's debts added to $1,738 million.

This means a better financial condition for the Bank and a stronger position in the external sector for the country as a whole, according to Bank chairman Francisco Gutierrez.

He added that by easing the pressures on the Bank, this improvement also mirrors in the ability to control inflation, which has surpassed 10 percent in recent years, mostly as a result of the losses that the Bank has suffered.