With the objective of increasing their competitiveness in the face of export diversification, investment attraction and economic development in the Central Pacific region, eight Local Governments of Puntarenas signed two agreements with the Foreign Trade Promoter of Costa Rica (PROCOMER). This is the creation of the Film Friendly Zone, to establish an ideal region for attracting film projects; as well as the Single Investment Window (VUI), a country project that centralizes and simplifies the procedures for opening companies in Costa Rica.
The cantons of Puntarenas, Montes de Oro, Esparza, Orotina, San Mateo, Garabito, Parrita and Quepos join these two initiatives led by PROCOMER, which will allow them to prepare to receive investment – national and foreign – and project themselves as a friendly region for audiovisual productions seeking to develop their projects in Costa Rica.
The event of the signing of these agreements was attended by the Minister of Foreign Trade, Manuel Tovar; the Vice Minister of Culture, Vera Beatriz Vargas; the General Manager of PROCOMER, Laura López; representatives of the Ministry of Health, representatives of the municipalities, tourism chambers of the region, the Costa Rica Film Commission and special guests.
“The efforts made to encourage the attraction of the film industry in our country are already reflected in concrete results; So far this year we have received confirmation of a total of 82 international projects and attracted audiovisual investments from 15 different countries. The action will now also reach the Central Pacific with important economic spillovers and productive chains that impact different subsectors and small businesses in the filming locations. This is thinking about development for all of Costa Rica,” said the Minister of Foreign Trade, Manuel Tovar.
Boost the competitiveness of the Central Pacific region
We are pleased with the launch of these two projects that will boost the competitiveness of the Central Pacific region, always hand in hand with the Local Governments and Business Chambers of the area. At PROCOMER we have the mission of supporting the diversification of exports, bringing investment, opportunities, employment and well-being to all regions of the country, and these two projects are key tools to achieve this. On the one hand, we will develop capacities in the population so that they prepare to receive film projects that generate employment and chains. And, on the other hand, we are simplifying procedures so that companies can set up more quickly. We thank the Municipalities for sharing our purpose of making the country’s value proposition even more solid before companies, investors and other actors in the foreign trade ecosystem,” added Laura López, General Manager of PROCOMER.
With the signing of the agreement for the development of the Film Friendly Zone, a comprehensive training project begins to receive and collaborate with international productions.
Including initiatives such as:
- Development of a catalog of service providers in the region.
- Training programs for local companies.
- Creation of a catalog of locations as a database for professionals in the sector.
- Simplification of procedures to obtain filming permits in areas under the jurisdiction of local governments, integrating them with the Single Investment Window (VUI).
- Implementation of regional incentives for projects that choose to film in the area: economic, logistical, in-kind or other schemes, with the purpose of attracting projects to the region.
On the other hand, the Single Investment Window (VUI), an inter-institutional project led by PROCOMER, aims to automate the integrated flow that allows companies – national and foreign – to obtain permits, patents, registrations, policies and other investment processes. beginning of operations; simplifying, centralizing and streamlining the procedures and permits required for opening and operating in Costa Rica, all through a single management.
Among the procedures that can now be managed from the site www.vui.cr are:
- Commercial Patent (License) Processing.
- Sanitary Operating Permit Processing.
- Application for Entry to the Free Zone Regime and Authorization for Auxiliary of the Customs Public Function.
- Management of Technical Criterion Requests on the presence/absence of wetlands.
- Wastewater Treatment Systems Siting Permit (STAR).
- “Authorization and registration of stationary tanks for self-consumption of fuels” (Storage of Self-consumption tanks).
Very proud
“At Garabito we are very proud to welcome you in these important activities that will open the doors to the Central Pacific to attract foreign investment in the audiovisual sector, with the participation of the Municipalities, who know first-hand our most attractive and interesting places for this industry. Without a doubt, this is another way to promote the reactivation of the region and that is why we take the opportunity to ask you to please direct your gaze to Garabito, a canton with a lot of natural and gastronomic wealth,” concluded Tobías Murillo Rodríguez, Mayor of Garabito.
The Central Pacific is the fourth region to begin the process of developing a Film Friendly Zone, the project has already begun in the Brunca, Huetar Norte and Chorotega region. For its part, VUI has already implemented the project in 45 municipalities in the country.
