If before an entrepreneur had to wait up to seven days to obtain a health permit for moderate or high risk operation (class A and B) or up to 25 days to enable an establishment that provides health services in Costa Rica, now they can obtain it in a single day, thanks to the signing this past Wednesday of executive decree No. 43432 by the President of the Republic Carlos Alvarado and the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas.
This is the “General Regulation for sanitary operating permits, authorization permits and sanitary authorizations for temporary events of mass concentration of people, granted by the Ministry of Health” that merges two previous regulations of the Ministry of Health: Decree No. 39472- S General Regulations for Sanitary Operating Authorizations and Permits and Decree No. 41045-S General Regulations for the authorization of health services.
This merger of decrees makes it possible to establish a standard procedure for the different activities, unifying the concept of permit, incorporating both the health operating permit and the authorization certificate for health establishments. The new regulation also allows the use of an affidavit, thus eliminating the prior inspection and allowing it to be carried out a posteriori.
President Alvarado indicated that this is a great step that will allow us to continue along the path of economic reactivation by “guaranteeing the private sector a more agile and competitive platform for procedures, for the processes required for the opening and operation of companies, a crucial step for the competitiveness of the country, the business climate and the well-being of the population.”
“From the Ministry of Health we want the principles of effectiveness and efficiency to continue guiding the functioning and smooth running of the institution, supporting citizens who seek to undertake, without neglecting our mission to protect human health, under that line is that this new regulation is born” indicated the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas.
In addition to a shorter time to obtain permits, the new decree eliminates four requirements to enable a health service:
• Copy of the municipal location resolution or note issued by the local government indicating that the activity is exempt from this document.
• List of professional personnel in health sciences, as well as technical personnel, who will work in the establishment.
• Certification from the respective professional association indicating that the technically responsible professional is incorporated and active.
• Copy of current regency issued by the respective professional association.
The new legislation also clarifies the requirements to obtain health authorization for temporary events of mass concentration of people, whether these are in establishments with permission or in open spaces.
On the other hand, this regulation will allow permits for residential activities to be extended from two years to a maximum period of five years. Once this period has elapsed, these activities must be relocated to an independent location, complying at that time and in the new location with all the requirements stipulated in the regulations for the PSF procedure for the first time.
Part of the inter-institutional Single Investment Window (VUI) project
The initiative, led by the Ministry of Health, is part of the inter-institutional Single Investment Window (VUI) project, led by the Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER) in coordination with the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC), an entity rector in processes of simplification of procedures. The VUI allows the procedure to be carried out 100% online with a digital signature, although the blended or face-to-face procedure also remains in force.
The General Manager of PROCOMER, Pedro Beirute Prada, was present at the event, who indicated that this decree directly benefits the resolution time and reduction of requirements, as a step in the right direction towards the process of simplifying procedures.
“We also celebrate the contribution to the decarbonization of our economy thanks to the digitization processes that we have been working on from the VUI project,” Beirute commented.
For his part, the Minister of Foreign Trade and President of the Board of Directors of PROCOMER, Andrés Valenciano, mentioned how these types of projects are a direct attention to the principles of effectiveness and efficiency that must govern the institutional functioning. “We recognize the need to streamline and simplify procedures as one of the crucial ways to promote the development of new activities and the country’s competitiveness,” said Valenciano.
In addition, the Minister of Economy, Industry and Commerce, Victoria Hernández; the General Director of Health, Pedro González; the Director of the Registry of Products of Sanitary Interest, Priscilla Herrera; the Director of the Single Investment Window Project, Marcela Brooks; the Trade Facilitation Manager PROCOMER, Marvin Rodríguez.