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Copyright www.LatinAmericaInsider.com October 2007

Costa Rica is making headway against corruption
…or at least its people think so. Costa Rica is one of the countries that has “most improved” in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), released this month by Transparency International. The index ranks 180 countries by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys. Transparency International uses the CPI to gauge corruption because it is "difficult to obtain hard empirical data" on this topic. By drawing on the experience and perceptions of "those who are most directly confronted with the realities of corruption in a country," the CPI claims to present a more accurate assessment.

This year, Costa Rica’s rating improved from 4.1 to 5 out of 10 (with 10 meaning: "no perceived corruption"). With the new rating, Costa Rica jumps from the 55th position to the 46th in the global ranking. In Latin America, Costa Rica perceptions earn it the title of third "least corrupt" country, after Chile (22nd) and Uruguay (25th), respectively.

More good news for Costa Rica's Caribbean coast.
Earlier this year, the government announced plans for a $600-million modernization of the two principal ports, Limon and Moin. Now, U.S. and Costa Rican investors are planning to build a $40-million, 398-slip marina for what is perhaps the most popular tourist destination on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, rasta-flavored Puerto Viejo (south of Limon and Moin) in the canton of Talamanca.

The marina project will include two breakwaters, a shopping center, an area for arts and crafts vendors, administrative offices, storage areas and a yacht maintenance and repair area. A proposal has already been presented for approval to Costa Rica’s marina authority and is under study.

Wit...there was already a thread on this subject a few weeks back...mostly related to the reliability and parameters used for these studies. As I said then...this is mostly a bullshit PR trick which was CR government trying to get support for CAFTA and trade relations. Anyone on the ground knows nothing has really changed there on the day to day way business is done. All these countries down here are just various versions of the same...corrupt government systems and large middle layers of beauracracy and handouts. I live in it here in Panama...and have friends still in the middle of it there in Costa Rica. Dont believe the hype.

Also...most of these developements are no where near acceptance of their permits to develop. So again...I hope no one is holding their breath here.

Not trying to be negative...just dose of reality.

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All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts...

Well, actually.. the upper levels of the government have become a bit less corrupt. It's a lot harder to get stuff through customs, for insance, than it used to be with a few bribes.

However, the cops will still pull you over for "driving while gringo" and demand a bribe, even if you were doing nothing wrong. And they'd much rather take a bribe than do the paperwork if you were actually doing something wrong.

These corruption ratings are total BS. The U.S. is never given a high corruption rating despite the shady connections that exist at the highest corporate levels here.