Several companies operating in Costa Rica begin to use the 2012 with optimism despite the economic storm the government announced.
Of 13 firms surveyed by The Nation last week, 12 in 2012 are welcome, with planned investments and new products, eight plan to increase employment, and four say they will maintain their form.

However, every business is faced with various turbulence. A case is Coopeguanacaste, a company that provides electrical services in Guanacaste and is pessimistic about the economic outlook for 2012 bodes less energy consumption.

The entity was affected by the collapse of real estate and tourism boom in the province.

Most companies surveyed are large. The picture may be different for small, which depend more on the local market.

At the end of 2011, policymakers were concerned about the uncertainty in the international economy and the fiscal deficit of Costa Rica, which pushes up interest, which hits the consumption and investment.
For 2011, the Central Bank president, Rodrigo Bolaños, provides an output growth of 4% and policy, said at the end of last year, this year will be difficult to repeat such an increase.

Why should they trust? However, these difficulties do not scare all the companies for several reasons. Much is dependent not only transnational economy policy, but also the situation in Europe also creates uncertainty.

For example, Hewlett Packard Costa Rica, one of the nation’s largest, with 7,500 employees, has a global market.

In turn, Carlos Odio, Tico Frut manager, builds their confidence that they have already sold out production. ”By 2012 we are optimistic. The harvest is much better than last, and prices too, “he said.

Pablo Vargas, CEO of Grupo Britt said that the company sells in several countries, and some of them, like the South Americans have good prospects for this year.

Financing extern.Así as such companies sell to other countries also have access to financing outside of Costa Rica, where interest rates are very low. For the industrial sector, the largest in the country, the economic division of the Central Bank believes that this activity does not depend heavily on the financial system.
This news is encouraging at a time when unemployment tico, from 7.7% above the historical rate is among the largest in Latin America.

Britt also is launching new products chocolates, cookies, candy and coffee.