Streets Full of Cash Beginning Today
Beginning not later 10:00am, more than ¢98.000.000.000 colones (us $190 million dollars) will hit the streets as employees of the central government receive their annual "Aguinaldo".

Employees of government agencies and autonous institutions like the Instituto Costarricende de Electricidad (ICE) are not counted in today's payment as those agencies and institutions pay their employees from their respective budgets, according to the Ministerio de Hacienda (Revenue and Finance ministry).

The Aguinaldo is paid to all employees, both public and private, which is equal to not more than one months pay for work during November 1, 2005 and November 30, 2006.

The Aguinaldo is calculated as taking the total of all pay during the 12 month period and dividing it by 12 and is to be paid by not later December 20 or face fine by the Ministerio de Trabajo (Labour ministry) if and when employees file a charge against their employer.

Many will have already spent their Aguinaldo as for months a number of retailers were offering purchases on credit using the Aguinaldo as a guarantee. A number will be doing the wise thing and place it in a savings account, as banks are offering attractive rates to lure the Aguinaldo their way.

The Aguinaldo is also an attraction for thieves that, for some see this time of year as their way of getting their Aguinaldo. For that reason, the Fuerza Pública and the Policía Municipal de San José have reinforced their patrols of the downtown area, especially on the Avenida Central between the Central Market and the Plaza de la Cultura; Avenida Segunda, around the Parque Central; and the area around the Correos de Costa Rica, three major areas where a large number of pickpockets and assaults occur.

The areas around the Automated Teller Machines in the downtown core will also see a special eye from the police as the government makes direct deposit into employee accounts and the majority use ATM's to withdraw their Aguinaldo.

Some common sense rules in walking the streets of downtown San José in the next couple of days is not to go unless you really need to, that in addition to the criminals, there will be a lot of people doing their holiday shopping and don't carry cash, use plastic to make your purchases.