That's some total bullshit in that 2017 article.
Quote:
8. The Costa Rican Economy is Poised for Massive Growth.
Costa Rica, for those that don't know it, is on the precipice of an economic disaster. The CAJA is unsustainable (both national health and old-age pensions / social services). Government revenues are insufficient.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development assessment team that reviewed the country's financial state in 2017 only had one tool in their tool box. Tax the Phuck out of everything. Oh, wait, they had another - strangle businesses even more than Costa Rica does now with more taxes, tariffs and regulations. Salient point was to tax the Phuck out of tourism, the only economic sector that's a bright spot. Yeah, and the team was headed by a former Portuguese development minister... because, Portugal is such a booming economy.
So ol' Carlos Alvardo, newly minted President, takes the OECD-approved plan to the legislature and they shit. Nope, nope, nope. Carve outs for this, carve outs for that. The oligarch families that run the country have to keep getting stupid rich you know. Rules and laws are for Jose and Juanita, not the Arias's and Solis's and Figuerras and such.
And the unions and associations have been protesting. Meanwhile the top-level government types are retiring with pensions of CRC 3,000,000 - a month and higher!
And the Banco Central de Costa Rica has been bleeding money propping up the colonne. Predictions are that they are going to try to do a
controlled bleed to CRC 580 to $1 over 2018.