Economy 2005, a Repetition
A stable year, without
crises, but also with no major
improvements, in general, a
repetition of 2004, is what
several economists forecast for
2005.
The experts agree on a little
larger production next year, but
with no outstanding results.
They also foresee a rate of
devaluation similar to the one
experienced this year, interest
rates slightly higher, and
inflation lower than in 2004.
However, their forecast is
conditioned to several
questions, including the
evolution of the prices of oil,
the performance of the dollar
vs. other currencies, the fiscal
plan, and the Free Trade
Agreement with the United
States.
Faster Procedures at airports
Travelers arriving at or
departing from international
airports Juan Santamaría in
Alajuela or Daniel Oduber in
Liberia, stagger under the
lengthy procedures that take
place in crowded conditions.
Because of these problems,
Alterra Partners - which runs
Juan Santamaría International
Airport - and several state
agencies have joined forces in
order to speed up the procedures
at both terminals.
One of the major steps is
including the exit tax in the
airline tickets, in order to get
rid of the long queues to pay
which are now evident at the
terminals.
Another measure consists in
increasing the staff in charge
or pre-checking baggage, and
improving the coordination
between Civil Aviation and the
airlines.
The contingency plan is to
become effective as of December
15, when the number of travelers
is expected to start increasing,
163 percent up from last year,
for an overall 1 million
visitors between this month and
March 2005.
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Distribution of Income Improved
The distance in income between
wealthy families and the poorest
ones slightly decreased in 2004.
This is the third consecutive
year in which the distribution
of income shows some
improvement, particularly after
the marked deterioration it
showed between 1997 and 2001.
However, the data from the Home
Survey by the Statistics and
Census National Bureau shows
that poor families get only 10
percent of what their
counterparts at the high level
get.
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