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,...
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| Language: | English |
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World Bank
2012
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| 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 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3092 |
| Summary: | 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. |
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