They estimate the need for an incentive plan for the Costa Rican economy in 2023

The adoption of new fiscal measures is another issue that could be present at the turn of the year, as Corrales indicated in an interview with the radio program 7 Días Radio, specifying that in this case pressure is given by the renegotiation of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund for a period of three years. .

Costa Rica has signed a three-year agreement for $1.8 billion in financing, and this credit is conditional on compliance with qualitative measures, as we came out with a good rating.

But he also referred to the implementation of quantitative measures, and here is where the IMF wants to see that the country fulfills its obligations.

In this regard, he referred to existing bills in the Legislative Assembly such as the discussion of global income, the possible sale of assets such as Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) and 49% of the National Insurance Corporation (INS); And also the restructuring of the state.

Another issue revealed by Corrales is the behavior of the dollar exchange rate in relation to the national currency, the colon, as one of the issues that may attract attention next year.

He noted that there is roughly $400 million left since July and that comes in growth behavior: for the month of November it was roughly $460 million.

Although the accelerating rise of the colon in the past two months is partly attributed to the greater dynamism of tourism and foreign investment, the economist considered that this does not explain the magnitude of the depreciation of the US currency.

“There is a wonder, can there be so much money coming from suspicious sources? Corrales estimated that this is an issue that we must engage with.

For the economist, Costa Rica’s problem next year will focus on three growth rates: free zones, which are expected to be very dynamic; The public sector, for which relative stability is expected; And sectors related to the local market that will not grow practically.

This means that by 2023 inflationary pressures, which have already begun to take hold in the country, will cease to be the main problem; Alternatively, unemployment can gain prominence and employment is concentrated mainly in unskilled labor and in rural areas.

He stressed that “if this patient (the economy) does not have an incentive plan for 2023 that reactivates the most dynamic sectors: for example, construction or agriculture, another cancer may appear, known as unemployment.”

ro / ale