Services are gaining ground in exports
61 companies sold $ 773 million this year, according to Cinde
- Sales in the sector are increasing at a rate of 30% per annum since 2002
- Signatures alien give technical and financial support to other countries from here
Hassel Fallas hasselfallas@nacion.com
The 61 transnational service corporations operating in a free zone this year exported about $ 773 million, $ 173 million more than in 2007, estimated the Costa Rican Coalition development initiatives (CINDE).
The calculation did it with data from the Central Bank. It took as a reference the average growth of 30% of the exports sector since 2002.
The services companies in free trade zones export software, financial analysis, technical support, graphic design, architectural and engineering and customer service.
Companies are conducting these activities for their own regional or global operations (captive operations) or to other firms (outsourcing), which is the case with many call centers.
The greatest benefit of export services from free zone is reflected in jobs and wages, said Gabriela Llobet, director of Cinde.
Timothy Scott, director of the association of Free Zones, pointed out that the average salary in the scheme is $ 1,000 per month.
Currently, 20,000 Costa Ricans working in transnational “added value” services. Cinde, are called so because their duties require more capable personnel.
The markets where they are sold U.S. (main), Europe, Asia and Africa. Among the exporters include Procter & Gamble, Western Union, HP and Sykes.
Good pace. The export of services companies in a free zone grows at an annual average of 30%, which exceeds by more than double, which have tourism services (11.6%) and financial (11.4 %).
That pace of growth is explained in part because in six years the number of foreign firms in services that were installed here rose from five to 61.
In 2007 Costa Rica exported $ 3,532 million in services, were $ 600 million in services in free zones.
Under the Free Trade Zone regime zone also operate manufacturing and processing firms, but its exports are accounted for in the category of property.
How is measured? Not being a tangible assets (such as microchips exports from Intel), the export of services from free zone is quantified by setting a price at that time an engineer used to repair a communication network, a person who answered an e – mail or a call made from another country.
There are two ways to charge for services: if the assistance was for the transnational operations in another country, the amount is charged to a corporate cost center, who transferred to Costa Rica. If services are for other companies, is billed to the customer, as do some call centers. At year’s end, the companies sent the report to the PROCOMER, which in turn passed to the Central Bank to cleanse the export figure, said Llobet.
