SAN JOSE: When President Laura Chinchilla met with Legislative Assembly Leader Juan Carlos Mendoza earlier this week, she made something very clear: of all the legislative projects that must be discussed and voted on, the Fiscal Reform plan is one that she would really like to see passed. Fiscal Reform isn't the only item on the President's mind. She also instructed Mendoza to get his peopl...

It's hard to think of radio as a significant player in these brave new days of Internet-connected humans who are tuned in to real-time social media updates on their smartphones. Ticos have learned to embrace online social networking and digital publications -as this one- with abundant glee. Still, terrestrial radio plays a vital role in the lives of people in Costa Rica thanks to a few factors t...

This past Thursday Chinese officials informed the local government that the 250 new patrol cars that they had promised back in early 2011 had finally arrived. The vehicles were delivered personally by Chinese ambassador Li Changhua to the Minister of Public Safety Mario Zamora. As of right now the vehicles are being held in the ALFIPAC fiscal warehouse located in Caldera, Puntarenas. The Chinese a...

Ticos often wonder why nice people like Barry and Nanci Stevens come to Costa Rica and devote so much of their time, energy and passion into helping our country become an even nicer place than it already is. Barry and Nanci are the founders of El Puente (The Bridge), a non-profit organization that is dedicated to making the lives of the people of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca in Limon a little better...

Lovers of comic book lore, underground comix, computer animation, graffiti, and all the other media attached to the subculture (such as film, video games, anime, cosplay, and music) should mark their calendars for next Saturday and Sunday, 21 and 22 in January, 2012. Over those two days, the old Costa Rican customs warehouse (La Aduana) will be transformed into Boom Con, the first ever celebratio...

Starting on April 1st of 2012, most corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and other business entities -both foreign and domestic- that are registered in Costa Rica will be obligated to pay a new tax based on a new law published on December 27th, 2011 in the judicial news daily La Gaceta. The new law, number 9024, is entitled Taxation on Business Entities. The only business ent...

Ticos consumed heaping amounts of social media content in 2011, and blogs featured very prominently in their delectation. Smart journalists like Amelia Rueda make sure they cover all facets of social media, and to that extent she keeps a number of blogs that empower her audience by keeping them informed about significant current issues and social commentary. Then there's the oft-recognized El Infi...

If you would like The Costa Rica Star to run your Press Release on our news website, check out our advertising page. Executive Summary The business plan for SALT reflects the opportunity to purchase the building, assets and leasehold improvements a restaurant currently operating in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica. The current owner is interested in selling the operations ($415,000.00), and/or ren...

Horror stories are an important part of Tico folklore. Tormented ghosts like La Llorona and fearsome creatures of the night such as El Cadejo serve as cautionary tales for a traditionally Catholic and God-fearing culture. Ticos enjoy being spooked by a well-told story about the supernatural. The resurgence of classic horror characters such as vampires and werewolves in the popular literature ...

Talk with your employees about investing their Aguinaldo into the business that employs themOne of the most "touchy" subjects when doing commerce in Costa Rica is the much debated Christmas bonus or Aguinaldo, that must be paid to every employee in Costa Rica during the month of December. This bonus is calculated by adding up all of the payments made to the employee each month for the last ye...

Twelve years ago, Dharma and her husband Rodolfo decided they’d had enough of being someone’s employees and living at the mercy of an unpredictable labor market. They longed to be their own bosses. Both of them being artists, they spontaneously signed up for an arts & crafts fair and, with what little they knew about the subject at that moment, produced a collection of scented candles. To their su...

Updated December 2016 If you are a foreigner moving to Costa Rica to seek a residency through business, family, or otherwise, you will eventually be struck with the choice of where to do your personal and business banking. You may have considered just using your bank account from Canada, the US, or Europe. Which is fine, you can withdraw money from the ATM machines here. But if you want to trul...

Foreigners have no restrictions when it comes to acquiring real estate in Costa Rica, but the buyer needs to be careful when considering a property, and that is why we have put together some useful reminders that can become very handy when it is time to decide in your investing in the country. Everyone will have their opinions on what to look out for, but just use common sense and always double ch...

Right on one corner of Escazú park is an unspectacular looking shopping centre called Centro Comercial Plaza Escazú. If you venture inside you will find a honey pot for literature lovers and curiosities collectionists: Driftwood Books, open Monday through Friday from 3p.m. to 5p.m.. The name “Driftwood Books” is very appropriate: just as varied as the objects washed upon the ocean’s shore, are ...

It seems that no matter how hard you try to become organized during the holidays, there's always something you forget to accomplish on time. Getting all shopping done well before Christmas is a lofty goal that's not so easy to accomplish. Many shoppers wait until the very last minute to rush to the malls, multiplazas and Wal-Mart stores, thereby creating the infamous presas navideñas. Others draw ...

Making payments and transferring money will soon be as easy as sending a text message. According to a report recently published in Diario Extra, the Central Bank (BCCR) and ICE are working together to develop a simple solution that will enable Ticos to transfer funds via SMS. Carlos Melegatti, BBCR's Director of Financial Services, explained that the Central Bank is studying SMS payment methods al...

As we get closer to the Christmas and New Year's holidays, here's a look at some of the banks and public institutions which will be observing the holidays with closures and modified schedules. Hospitals and Clinics None of the major public or private hospitals and clinics have reported modified holiday schedules. Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) The offices of the INS will be close...

One of the top trending items on Twitter today was one of the most long-awaited announcements of 2011. Cerveza Imperial, Costa Rica's most iconic beer, has finally set a date for its cherished annual music fest at La Guácima speedway in Alajuela. Festival Imperial is now officially 98 days away, and music fans are already busy making requests for their dream musical lineup on Cerveza Imperial's of...

Is Costa Rica destined to become the Malibu Beach of Central America? The tabloids of the world are awash with reports of Hollywood's most glamorous power couple coming to spend the holidays in a rented hacienda. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, collectively referred to as “Brangelina” by gossip mavens, might be heading to the Guanacaste province to spend the holidays in a rented hacienda, according ...

The final weeks of the year in Costa Rica are filled with tradition and cheer. With the holidays upon them, Ticos look forward to infallible seasonal staples such as the delicious tamales, the bull runs and firework displays in El Zapote, the Parade of Lights, the Avenidazo, two or more weeks off work, the hopes to score at least one lottery ticket, the national carnival, the equestrian parad...