Increase of 30% in electricity deepens complaints from companies to ICE

kWh average price went from 13.6 to 17.6 cents of dollars, says Chamber

Institute recognizes problem and announces plan to issue a special charge to the firms

October 7,2013.

An increase in the price of electricity over 30% this year and not only causes manufacturing enterprises, but also the service, put the complaint to the Government.

Procter and Gamble, Amway, Vicesa, Hospira Boston Scientific and publicly complained about the sharp increase in the electricity tariff.

Those voices were supported by the general director of the Costa Rican Coalition for Development Initiatives (Cinde), Gabriela Llobet, for whom the allegations are "a warning to the country" by the loss of competitiveness.

Carlos Roldan, executive director of the Costa Rican Association of Large Energy Consumers (Acograce) and Clean Energy Program of the Technological Institute of Costa Rica, acknowledged that the country has strong distortions in this field, but the reality is that prices electricity are much higher than those of countries which have free trade agreements.

Complaints join those already been expressed for some time by the Chamber of Industries of Costa Rica (ICRC).

Figures. A study presented by the ICRC's deputy executive director, Carlos Montenegro, states that the price per kWh in Costa Rica for medium voltage industrial companies, rose from an average of 13.6 cents per kilowatt hour in 2012 to 17.6 cents in 2013.

That means an increase of 30% when comparing the 2012 with this year, according to industrialists.

Moreover, this strong increase made the country the most expensive among several with which it has a significant trade at this time.

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