By the A.M. Costa Rica staff  

President Óscar Arias Sánchez told Germans over the weekend that foreign firms soon would only have to pay a tax rate here in the single digits.

He was speaking in Munich at the Costa Rica Arena, an exposition area of the country’s products set up for the World Cup crowd. Arias pointed out that a magazine had listed Costa Rica third in the world in outsourcing after India and China.

“In fact, our salary structure is more competitive than that of India and the tax rate in force for foreign corporations soon will be a single digit,” said Arias in a Spanish text released by Casa Presidencial. The corporate tax rate here is typically 30 percent.

Arias did not say how the low tax rate might be accomplished. However, he said that during his administration there will be more and more aid to foreign investment.

He said that he hoped an accord would be reached soon with Europe to eliminate import duties and that his aides are sending proposed laws to the Asamblea Legislativa to stimulate the growth of the high-tech sector. More importantly, he said, the amount of money for education is being increased.