The demonstration that took place this past Monday on the outskirts of the Presidential House, coordinated by the Costa Rican Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations (Fedecámaras), achieved its main purpose: to get the Government to reconsider the health restriction measures implemented both for the orange as for the yellow zones in the country.
This was stated by Antonio López, executive director of Fedecámaras, who explained that they negotiated with the vice minister of the Presidency, Randall Otárola, for analyzing the measures and also the request for a full (and safeguarded) commercial opening throughout the country.
“There has to be a balance between the handling of the Pandemic and the national economy, that is what we want. We do not want to attack or violate the constitutional order, we just want to be heard. The Government only gives preference to some chambers, but there are others like those in Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón, that do not have access to dialogue with the Executive power,”said López.
Commercial Sector ensures that there is improvisation by the government
According to López, there is improvisation on the part of the Government regarding the implementation of measures. “They authorize supermarkets, but keep closed clothing, footwear, book, hardware, etc. stores, which are small business owners and are going bankrupt. It is very sad,”said the executive director of Fedecámaras.
He also indicated that they do not understand how the Government makes mistakes like the one that happened with Garabito, originally declared on orange alert and later recognized that it was a mistake and that it really was a place with a yellow alert.
“The owners of commercial premises can no longer cope with this situation. We will send our formal requests in writing and await a prompt response. We have already sent many inquiries and letters, which they (the government) receive but do not answer,”López concluded.
Francisco Llobet, President of Fedecámaras, also was presentin the meeting with the officials, along with Michael Solís, vice president of the North Zone Chamber of Commerce; Guillermo Varela, director of Fedecámaras and GS1, among others.
For its parts, the National Restoration Fraction warned that the Executive Power should review the measures it is applying and achieve a balance point that allows controlling the spread of COVID-19, but also increasing economic activity and employment.
“Businesses should continue to operate under certain sanitary rules and regulations, with a controlled access to stores, so as not to allow irresponsible people to enter, because if this does not happen, soon the economic affectation can be disastrous,” said Xiomara Rodríguez, the party`s spokesperson .
“Citizens are asking for work, there are honest and hard-working people who are crying out asking for a solution. It is urgent that businesses start generating income so that people have work, because the social effects can be very damaging and we cannot allow it,”said Rodríguez.
For her part, Flora Segreda, a deputy from the same party, said that indebtedness, increasing poverty and unemployment in historical figures are not the sole fault of the health crisis, rather the figures were already alarming before the Pandemic and the actions taken were nil.
“Costa Ricans need a workable plan that, in the short term, achieves results and concrete actions. Tica families and the different business sectors can no longer cope with so much improvisation. The economy of Costa Ricans is in intensive care and urgently needs attention.”Segreda concluded.
