by Esteban Arrieta

Government City, Marina and Cruise Terminal, and Reform to the Comptroller’s Office are the proposals that will be decided through a popular consultation.

This noon, President Rodrigo Chaves revealed the details of the national referendum he has called the “Jaguar Law for National Development.”

It is a reform to the organic law of the Comptroller’s Office to prevent notorious corruption cases.

Furthermore, President Chaves’ referendum includes a proposal to clarify Japdeva’s competences, thus allowing the progress of the Marina and Cruise Terminal for Limón.

It also aims to clarify the law to advance with Government City.

Here are the details of the referendum proposals:

Government City: The proposal includes several articles to specify the application and use of the purchase and lease figure on public lands, meaning the government can develop the project it desires on state lands.

This would open the door wide to develop the Government City plan.

The project consists of 3 or 4 towers of buildings to house about 20 institutions in Plaza Víquez and 10,000 employees, allowing the state to save around ¢30 billion per year in rentals.

Currently, the central government invests ¢59 billion in leases; that is, about $118 million a year.

In this case, the state intends for the BCIE to build on state land in Plaza Víquez, lease the buildings for 30 years, and then automatically transfer them to the state.

Marina and Cruise Terminal for Limón: This is an infrastructure project worth $854 million that has the potential to generate 23,000 jobs and, more importantly, provide a strong response to the serious social and drug trafficking problem in the province.

The idea is for Japdeva to develop this mega-project through a strategic alliance.

However, the Comptroller’s Office warned the state that the regulations developed for this purpose were insufficient and that a public tender was necessary.

In this case, the aim is to make an authentic interpretation of the Japdeva law, allowing the government to proceed with the plan through a public-private partnership.

Reform to the organic law of the Comptroller’s Office: This aims to strengthen the Comptroller General’s oversight to prevent cases like Cochinilla, Diamante, Azteca, Soresco, and Diquís from happening again.

The plan establishes competences for the deputy comptroller and limits some actions of the comptroller’s office so that the state can continue its projects.

In this case, Chaves states that it would make it easier to develop infrastructure projects, such as the expansion of route 1, the road to Cartago, and others.

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