2023-10-11 23:12:08
The deputies approved this Tuesday in the first debate a credit for $710 million with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), whose objective is to support the country in its policies to prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change on the national economy.
As highlighted by the liberationist Paulina Ramírez, president of the Property Commission, this is the first financing of the Fund focused mainly on combating the effects of climate change.
The loan to the Government of Costa Rica, through the Ministry of Finance, is for a term of 20 years, with a grace period of 10.5 years, and with a disbursement period of up to 20.5 months.
The agreed annual interest rate is 3.77%, with a service fee of 0.50% on the amount of each disbursement.
Although file 23,660 was unanimously approved by 46 congressmen, they did not stop making complaints and warnings to the Executive Branch during the financing discussion.
The main complaints were launched by congressmen from the Frente Amplio (FA), New Republic (PNR), National Liberation (PLN) and the Social Christian Unity (PUSC) because they blamed the government of Rodrigo Chaves for focusing on addressing the economic situation and left aside attention to the country’s social problems, especially because they pointed out a strong relationship between that and growing insecurity.
“The government, I hope it recognizes, will have to make visible that the Assembly is approving a measure proposed by them to lower the cost of the debt,” said Jonathan Acuña, but at the same time he denounced that the organizations that are part of the network of the National Children’s Trust (PANI) are reducing their investment per child cared for by up to 15%, despite the promise they had made in July.
In July, they were promised ¢142,000 per person and two days ago they were told that they would only be given ¢119,000 for each child cared for in the care network.
Fabricator José Pablo Sibaja stated that “while others blow up bridges and catapult them, it is up to this Assembly to rebuild them; “This is one more sign that this Assembly does not work for political colors, but for the flag of Costa Rica.”
He added that perhaps this Wednesday, at a press conference, they will not throw epithets like “traitors” and “Judas” at them, but they will not say anything good either, because from the Presidency they only seek to further separate the people and the State.
Sibaja and Paulina Ramírez emphasized that the government is given tools to seek financing under better conditions and that they do it for Costa Rica and “not for the words that come out at Wednesday conferences.”
The head of the PLN, Óscar Izquierdo, highlighted that the approval of the credit is to “build bridges with the purpose of building” and said that the commitment had been established to vote on it as soon as possible.
“We are in the attitude of putting the votes so that things are done well, we hope that things are done well to get out of this crisis and this fight to reactivate our economy,” added Izquierdo.
Vanessa Castro, from the PUSC, declared from her seat that voting for the loan is an act of responsibility and proudly carrying out her work.
“Money is coming in, we are generating cheap income instead of expensive financing. The truth is that in recent times we have approved any number of economic issues, for the benefit of the country, and the government, on the other hand, does not respond to a series of issues,” criticized the social-Christian.
He added that Congress assumes an economic responsibility, but “we are not receiving a response, the other part, the other layer of what the Executive can do, the government is not responding with its social part, there is a total imbalance.”
The head of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Eliécer Feinzaig, said that his party supports it because it is a budget support credit “and not for environmental programs”, so he hopes it will be used to improve resistance to climate change.
“Just because we support this does not mean that we are willing to approve any credit,” he noted.
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