By Katherine Stanley, Tico Times Staff

Ten years after the country’s Constitution was changed to require that at least 6% of the gross domestic product (GDP) be spent on education each year, the government finally plans to comply with the mandate in 2007.

Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias told reporters yesterday that next year’s budget, now under consideration in the Legislative Assembly, “guarantees education will have the total 6% for the first time.”

He cited this achievement, as well as a grant program for low-income high school students, among the major efforts of his brother President Oscar Arias’ administration to decrease poverty and address the widening gap between rich and poor.

The government’s failure to meet the 6% mark – funding has increased each year, with 5.6% of the GDP spent on education this year – has been a source of doubt about the viability of another Arias initiative under consideration in the assembly: increasing the constitutional mandate from 6% to 8% of the GDP. Asked how soon the government will be able to meet this new requirement if the assembly approves it, Rodrigo Arias said it wouldn’t be immediate.

Finding additional funds within government coffers and preparing the education system to effectively spend them will take some time, he said.

The 6% spending requirement, which includes funding for the Public Education Ministry (MEP), public universities and the National Learning Institute (INA), was established in July 1997 as an initiative of President José María Figueres (1994-1998).

The government will present a bill asking foreigners residing legally and illegaly in the country to pay 9000 colones per month to the health care system. The payment will apply to 900,000 immigrants, 600,000 legal residents and 300,000 illegal or who are being processed. The payment would be made in the Immigration Offices (ouch!).

A fixed amount has not been set, but the proposal takes as a base the voluntary insurance of the CCSS, whose average payment is 9000 colones per month.

The proposal is seen as a way to offset the enormous costs the state incurs in caring for immigrants in areas like health care, education and law enforcement.  For example, the Caja spends 10,000,000,000 colones per year in health care.  The state spends billions in education as well, although the Ministry of Education did not have an exact figure.

Exemptions

• Anyone who contributes to one of the insurance plans provided by CCSS.
• Temporary residents on scientific, religious, artistic or sports missions.
• Border crossers (those who live in frontier towns and work in Costa Rica)
• Domestic servants if the employer pays social security.

The payment would not obligate Immigration to approve residency.  An immigrant who can prove that they do not have money to pay the quota can pay with community service.