Legislators To Take
World Bank Loan For
Earthquake Relief
The country's
legislators are taking
advantage of the us$65
million dollar loan by
the World Bank to
rebuild the destruction
of the devastating
January 8 earthquake,
with the approval of the
loan in first reading.
The Comisión Nacional de
Emergencias (CNE), in
preliminary
calculations, says that
at least us$100 million
dollars is needed.
Earlier this week, Costa
Rican president Oscar
Arias has asked foreign
governments to be
generous with their
donations. So far, the
United States has
pledged us$50.000, China
us$100.000 and the
Inter-American
Development Bank has
donated us$200.000.
Arias said the money
would be used to rebuild
schools, roads and
return to normal
electricity and water
service to the affected
area.
The approval of the
World Bank loan which
comes with a 30 year
repayment at 2.25%
interest, is expected to
be approved at second
and final reading on
Tuesday.
A group of legislators
will be taking a
helicopter tour of the
affected area to see
first hand the
devastation in the
provinces of Heredia and
Alajuela, that has left
more than 2.000 living
in shelters, more than
800 homes partially or
totally destroyed, roads
completed erased from
the map and damage to
the infrastructure, like
the hydro generating
plant Cariblanco.
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