Arias Asks Business
Owners To Forgo Their
Salaries
In the face of the world
economic crisis, Costa
Rican president, Oscar
Arias, is asking
business owners and
executives to cut costs,
including giving up
their salaries and
bonuses, before laying
off employees.
"I have suggested, and
this is a nice moment to
show generosity and
solidarity of Costa
Rica, the owner of a
company does not begin
by removing people, he
begins to reduce costs
by sacrificing his
salary, reducing it by
half, or in total . I
have done it and live
neither worse nor better
without my salary, that
can always be used
better by someone who
needs it. They can
introduce, in some
sectors, a four day work
week, to avoid
unemployment", said
Arias.
The president made the
statement at Casa
Presidencial during an
interview with the
general manager of the
Diario Extra, William
Gómez Varga and several
other members of the
newspaper group that
quotes itself as the
most read newspaper in
the country.
During the interview
Arias spoke about the
achievements of the past
year, satisfied that the
TLC debate is finally
coming to a close after
two and a half years of
controversy and the
hardships facing the
world and Costa Rican in
2009.
Arias said he came to
office to generate
employment.
Arias reconfirmed the
three priorities that he
said he came to office
with: generate
employment, the second,
to generate employment
and the third, to
generate employment.
Arias does not deny that
the times ahead will be
tough for the country,
the worst perhaps in the
last 80 years. However,
Costa Rica is prepared
fro what lies ahead and
that was confirmed last
week by the president of
the International
Monetary Fund (IMF),
Dominique Strauss Khann,
saying last week that
Costa Rica is better
prepared that most of
the other Latin American
countries. |
