Increased Duty Free Shop
Profits Go Towards
Social Programs
Shopping at the
duty free shop at the
Juan Santamaría (San
José) international
airport and soon at the
Liberia airport,
will benefit the poor as
the Instituto Mixto de
Ayuda Social (IMAS) -
the government agency
that runs the duty free
shop - expects to
collect ¢2 billion
colones (us$3.85 million
dollars) from taxes on
sales for this year.
The money will be
invested in social
assistance programs to
cover the basic
necessities of poor
families and old age
homes, orphanages, and
shelters for the
indigent, among other
social programs.
The goal is for sales to
reach ¢8.5 billion
colones, ¢1.5 billion
more than sales in 2006.
The IMAS says that ¢2.5
billion colones is the
expected earnings from
the sales, ¢695 million
more than in 2006.
According to the Ley de
fortalecimiento del IMAS
published in La Gaceta,
the official government
daily, on February 6,
20% of the profits will
go to the Consejo
Técnico de Aviación
Civil (Cetac) - civil
aviation and 80% will go
towards social programs.
In the past, in addition
to the 20% to Cetac,
another 20% went to the
Ministerio de Hacienda
(Revenue ministry) and
the balance left for
IMAS programs. The new
law allows IMAS more
resourced for its social
assistance programs.
The increase in sales -
and profits - is based
on the growth of tourism
which is prompting the
IMAS to open more duty
free shops to handle the
expected heavy tourist
traffic by the end of
the year, said José
Antonio Li, president of
IMAS.
The opening of two duty
free shops at the Daniel
Oduber International
airport in Liberia in
October will generate ¢1
billion in sales during
October and December
alone, a period where
Air Comet (Spain), First
Choice (England) and
Spirit and Frontier
airlines (US), will all
be operating flights,
adding to the increased
tourist traffic.
The IMAS will be
increasing its campaign
to let passengers know
that they can buy
restricted products like
liquor and perfumes and
receive them when
boarding their fight.
Arriving passengers can
also make purchases at
the duty free shops at
the San José airport for
consumption in Costa
Rica. According to IMAS
figures, Americans
represented 39% of sales
by IMAS and 28% by Costa
Ricans. Li says that
today the numbers are
reversed.
The IMAS president said
the drop in purchases by
Americans is the fear of
losing their purchases
due to prohibitions on
carry ons that include
shampoos, creams,
perfumes, liquors, etc.
Li added that by
allowing purchases be
made by passengers
arriving in Costa Rica
stimulated sales.
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