Japanese sewer loan takes hit
The legislature’s Comisión Permanente de Asuntos Hacendarios voted out a measure that would allow the country to accept $130 million in Japanese foreign aid to fix the Central Valley’s rotting sewerage.
Mario Quirós, a lawmaker, opposed the measure because he said he didn’t think that municipalities have been consulted on it. The committee quickly approved a motion to seek consultation from the Municipalidad de Puntarenas, of Esparza, and of Santo Domingo de Heredia and from districts such as Lepanto, Cóbano, Paquera, and from the Universidad Nacional and the Empresa de Servicios Públicos de Heredia.
The action means that the measure goes to the floor of the legislature where he would need favorable votes on two non-consecutive days to become law.
In its deliberations, the commission heard a lot of bad news about the nation’s lack of sewage treatment and that the human wastes from the Central Valley eventually flows into the Gulf of Nicoya via the RÃo Grande de Tarcoles.
The money from the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation is just part of the bill. The bulk of the money has to come from Costa Rican sources. Although current estimates are at $300 million, considering inflation and the 20 years to do the project, the final price tag might be $1 billion.
Japanese officials had set a deadline on acceptance of the money. Then they extended it. The new deadline is at the end of the month.