Costa Rican Government Launches Manual To Assist Potential Businesses

by Mike Godfrey, Tax-news.com, Washington

14 May 2001

Costa Rican newspaper the Tico Times reported last week on a new investor's manual, produced by the government, which might well prove an invaluable tool for anyone seeking to start a business in the South American country. The manual is a product of the government’s Impulso programme, which began in January to simplify business start-up and make businesses competitive.

The so-called "Investors Manual" is a Spanish-language step-by-step investors’ start-up guide produced by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce’s Procedure Simplification Program. It is available in paper format, CD-ROM or on the Internet and covers a whole raft of subjects from incorporating a new company to registering trademarks. Separate chapters deal with issues faced by tourism and export investors, the latter explaining how to set up an export company under the Free Trade Zone law and incentives for qualifying companies.

The publication was launched at the end of last month by Costa Rican President, Miguel Angel Rodiguez, who was quoted in the Tico Times as saying: 'This document is the best expression of the work of the Procedures Simplification Program to introduce clarity where there is confusion, simplicity in place of complexity, single steps instead of duplication and fixed deadlines instead of relaxed ones.'

The Internet version of the manual can be found at www.tramites.go.cr. At the time of writing, the printed version could still be obtained from the Procedure Simplification Office 3-3, on the third floor of Centro Colón, in west San José, Tel: 222-0944, Fax: 221-8358, e-mail: ivizcaino@comex.go.cr

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