CCSS Goes After Dead Beat Companies
As of May 1 of this year, 10 companies owe the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (CCSS) - Caja - millions of colones in unpaid worker benefits.

The irony in this story is that another government agency, the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MRE) - Foreign Ministry, owes the CCSS some ¢1.385.000.000 colones (us$2.9 million dollars), though the MRE says that it's employees outside of Costa Rica don't receive medical services from the Caja.

In second place of debtors is the banana producer El Ceibe with ¢927.000.000 colones (us$1.963 million dollars), followed by the Autogestión Obra de Servicios de la Actividad Bananera with a debt of ¢422.000.000 colones.

Some of the smaller debtors is Motores Británicos, owing the Caja ¢43.000.000 colones, who has taken an action of Recurso de Amparo - an appeal - against the closing of the business until they pay up.

However, the downtown hotel Amón Plaza, who is now managed by Clarion Hotels, was not so lucky, when Tuesday CCSS agents in charge of closures took the yellow tape to the business for unpaid dues to the Caja.

The hotel, according to the Caja, owes ¢148.000.000 colones (us$343.500 dollars) that goes back for the last two years, when another hotel chain managed the property and left it's current investors with the debt.

Hotel owners say that they were aware of the debt accumulated by the former operator and have made efforts to pay down the debt, paying down ¢79.000.000 of what is owed, of  which ¢29.000.000 colones was paid last month.

The hotel owners says that, unlike the others, they have shown a willingness to pay.

Another polemic situation in the Caja debt is the bus company SACSA that run regular bus service between San José and the southern part of the country, which just two weeks ago got approval from the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (ARESEP) - the regulating body for public prices and services - for a fare increase.

The Caja says it is owed ¢233.000.000 colones by SACSA should not have gotten the fare hike approval . Luis Diego Calderón, a director of the CCSS, said that in the SACSA case they have notified the ARESEP of the debt, though they have rolled back the fare hike to the company.

The question being asked by those who the Caja is taking a heavy hand, is why don't they close down the SACSA? Calderón was evasive with his answer.

Critics complain that the Caja is unfair in it's method of deciding who it will close down and who it will allow to remain in busines even though it is owend millions. In the case of the Saprissa soccer team, the Caja was effective in closing down the stadium last year and come to an agreement with the owners.

All businesses who owe the Caja are subject to closure if they fall behind in their payments. The Caja is making an effort to clamp down on defaults and make no discriminating distinction on who is closed and who is left to operate, added Calderón.

All businesses that have employees are required to remit to the Caja a portion of the employee's salary along with the employer's portion on a regular basis. This ensures the employee medical services and benefits at CCSS hospitals and clinics.