Costa Rica : Competitiveness Diagnostic and Recommendations

Costa Rica is a clear success story. The country enjoys the highest standard of living in Central America and one of the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Not surprisingly, poverty levels are among the lowest in LAC. Indeed in 2004, Costa Rica had the second lowest poverty headcount in LAC with just nine percent of households below the US$2 poverty line. This report is a contribution to those efforts. Based on multiple data sources, it assesses the main obstacles that affect private sector growth in Costa Rica and provides policy options and targeted interventions for improving the business environment and increasing competitiveness, with the goal of achieving sustained and broad-based growth. In this regard, the main focus of the report is on the long-term instead of on cyclical issues. This report outlines a program to address the critical bottlenecks that hamper Costa Rica in diverse fields including infrastructure, technological innovation and quality, human capital, red tape, and access to credit. The result is a rich and encompassing agenda. The rest of the report is structured in the following way. In section two, the report diagnoses the principal obstacles to export growth and of competitiveness in Costa Rica. The diagnostics reveal four areas most in need of reform: infrastructure, human capital and innovation, business regulation, and access to finance. Sections three to six cover each of these areas. Finally, the report closes with a section on conclusions and recommendations.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank 2009-07-01
Subjects:	ACCESS TO CREDIT, ACCESS TO FINANCE, ACCESS TO FINANCING, ACCESS TO LOANS, ACCREDITATION, ADVERTISEMENTS, ADVERTISING, AFFORDABLE FINANCING, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, AGRICULTURAL SECTORS, BANK ACCOUNT, BANKING SYSTEM, BANKS, BEST PRACTICE, BEST-PRACTICE, BONDS, BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, BUSINESS CLIMATE, BUSINESS COMMUNITY, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS INDICATORS, BUSINESS LIFE, BUSINESS NEEDS, BUSINESS REGULATION, BUSINESS SECTOR, BUSINESSES, BUYER, CALCULATION, CAPITAL INVESTMENT, COLLATERAL, COMMERCIAL LENDING, COMPETITIVENESS, COMPUTER SCIENCE, CONSUMER, CONSUMER CREDIT, CONSUMER DEMAND, CONSUMER LOANS, CONSUMERS, CONTRIBUTION, CONTRIBUTIONS, COOPERATIVES, COPYRIGHT, COPYRIGHTS, CORRUPTION, COST OF SUBSIDIES, COST RECOVERY, CREDIT CARDS, CREDIT RECORDS, CROSS-SUBSIDIES, CURRENCY, CURRENT ACCOUNTS, CURRICULA, CURRICULUM, CUSTOMS, DEBT, DEBT FINANCING, DEBT SERVICE, DEPOSIT, DEPOSITS, DEVELOPMENT BANKS, E-MAIL, ECONOMIC CRISIS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT, ECONOMIES OF SCALE, EDUCATION LOANS, EDUCATION PROGRAMS, EDUCATION SYSTEM, ELECTRICITY, ENROLLMENT, ENTERPRISE SURVEY, EQUIPMENT, EQUITY FUNDING, EXCHANGE RATE, EXPENDITURE, EXPENDITURES, EXPORT BASE, EXPORT MARKET, EXPORT MARKETS, EXPORT PROMOTION, EXPORT SECTOR, EXTERNAL SHOCKS, FINANCIAL AID, FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, FINANCIAL INTERMEDIATION, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE, FINANCIAL SECTOR, FINANCIAL SERVICES, FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY, FINANCIAL SYSTEM, FLEXIBLE FINANCING, FOREIGN TRADE, FUTURE GROWTH, GENERAL PUBLIC, GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS, GLOBAL ECONOMY, GLOBAL MARKET, GOVERNMENT POLICIES, GOVERNMENT POLICY, GROWTH POTENTIAL, GROWTH STRATEGY, HIGH INTEREST RATES, HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION, HOUSEHOLDS, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN RESOURCES, INCOME, INCOME CATEGORY, INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INNOVATION, INSPECTION, INSPECTIONS, INSTITUTION, INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITIES, INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY, INSURANCE, INSURANCE SCHEME, INTEREST RATE, INTEREST RATES, INTERNATIONAL BANK, INVESTING, INVESTMENT CAPITAL, INVESTMENT CLIMATE, INVESTMENT CLIMATE ASSESSMENT, LABOR MARKET, LABOR MARKETS, LARGE FIRMS, LEGAL BARRIERS, LEGAL FRAMEWORK, LEGAL ISSUES, LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, LEGAL SOLUTIONS, LENDERS, LENDING DECISIONS, LICENSE, LICENSES, LIMITED ACCESS, LITERACY, LITERACY RATES, LOW COST, LOW INCOME, LOWER INTEREST RATES, MACROECONOMIC STABILITY, MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS, MANUFACTURING, MARKET ANALYSIS, MARKET DEMANDS, MARKET INFORMATION, MARKET PRICES, MARKET RESEARCH, MATERIAL, MATH, MEDIUM ENTERPRISES, MFIS, MICRO-ENTREPRENEURS, MICROFINANCE, MOVEMENT OF GOODS, MULTINATIONAL, NATURAL RESOURCES, NEW TECHNOLOGIES, OBSTACLES TO GROWTH, OPERATING COSTS, PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, POVERTY LEVELS, PRIVATE ENTERPRISES, PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR FINANCING, PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION, PRIVATE SECTORS, PROCUREMENT, PROCUREMENT PROCESSES, PRODUCTION PROCESS, PRODUCTIVITY, PROPERTY RIGHTS, PUBLIC BANKS, PUBLIC EDUCATION, PUBLIC POLICY, PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, QUALITY OF SERVICE, QUERIES, R&D, RED TAPE, REGISTRATION PROCESS, REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, RELIABILITY, RESULT, RESULTS, RETAIL BUSINESSES, RETURN ON INVESTMENTS, SALARIES, SALES, SATELLITE, SAVINGS, SECONDARY EDUCATION, SECONDARY SCHOOL, SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, SITES, SMALL ENTERPRISES, SMALLER ENTERPRISES, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL SECURITY, STATE UNIVERSITY, STUDENT LOANS, TEACHER TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TECHNICAL EDUCATION, TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, TECHNICAL TRAINING, TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, TELEPHONE, TRADE FACILITATION, TRAINING PROGRAM, TRAINING PROGRAMS, TURNOVER RATES, USERS, USES, VALUE CHAIN, VALUE CHAINS, VENTURE CAPITAL, VENTURE CAPITALISTS, VENTURE INVESTORS, WAREHOUSE, WAREHOUSES, WORTH,
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000333037_20090817234330 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/3092
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