NEWS
CINDE presents investment opportunities in the country: Features the North Region
- CINDE holds meeting to promote the attraction of Foreign Investment in the North Region with key actors of the area, as well as Government officials, community leaders, organized groups, Congressmen from Alajuela and community representatives.
San Carlos, April 1st 2016. During the forum entitled "Promoting Development in Regions outside the Greater Metropolitan Area: the North Region Case" CINDE presented, its promotion strategy for the North Region to attract Foreign Investment. The event coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX), the Costa Rica Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER) and the Agency for the North Region Development (ZEEZN) took place in the facilities of the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC) in Santa Clara, San Carlos.
The agenda included presentations and panels on issues such as: the opportunities offered by the Free Zone Regime for companies setting up in communities outside the Central Valley; the analysis of technical education as part of the regional agenda; and the results of the Agency for the North Region Development in their 15 years of work.
The event included the participation of the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade, Jhon Fonseca; the President of the Congress, Rafael Ortiz; Congressmen from Alajuela: Edgardo Araya (Frente Amplio); Aracelli Segura (Partido Liberación Nacional) and Nidia Jiménez (Partido Acción Ciudadana); as well as the Mayor of San Carlos, Alfredo Córdoba and Ilse Maria Gutierrez, the Mayoress of Guatuso and the Ambassador of the United States in Costa Rica, S. Fitzgerald Haney. The meeting brought together about 200 participants from the local business sector, public institutions authorities, community representatives and students.
Jorge Sequeira, Managing Director of CINDE, said “We see in the North Region potential for companies in the food processing, agroindustry, software development and renewable energies areas to install their operations. The great community organization and interinstitutional coordination in the region must be recognized, it is certainly an element of great importance for the attraction process”.
The Vice Minister of Foreign Trade, Jhon Fonseca, was very pleased with the strategy to promote the development of areas outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAMA), which complements the strategy launched in the second semester of 2015 which covered the North Pacific, Central Pacific and Caribbean regions, with a mapping of the northern and southern parts of the country. "This is a very important initiative in the strategic planning for long-term regional development, and a powerful tool to provide innovative insights to direct public policies that will strengthen the growth and economic and social benefits, as well as the promotion of inclusivity. The results demonstrate the great potential of different regions of our country and encourage us to work in synergy with CINDE and other key actors -in the academic, the private and the public sectors- to generate conditions that create high-quality and value added jobs, as well as productive linkages with local entrepreneurs. We predict a very successful journey for everyone."
Alfredo Aguilar Calderón, Executive Director of the Agency for the North Region Development, commented "The North Region has made a steadily effort for 15 years in order to improve its conditions. We have excellent results, today we have high quality energy, broadband internet, and roads in excellent conditions; we are even building a connective highway that will link us expeditiously to our main port of export, Port Moin, as well as a new customs office in Los Chiles. Also, the universities and the National Learning Institution (INA) have made a great investment in providing the region with skilled labor force”.
CINDE developed a document for investment promotion, as well as an investment guide for areas outside GMA, through which communities can identify their opportunities and challenges. Both documents are part of the investment strategy and can be accessed at
http://www.cinde.org/en/rising-cities
About CINDE
CINDE is a private, non-profit, non-political organization declared of public interest in 1984, responsible for the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Costa Rica. Founded in 1982, more than 275 companies have settle in the country with the support of CINDE.
For more information
Carlos Morales
Communications and Corporate Relations Executive
CINDE
cmorales@cinde.org
2201.2830 / 8887.7791
