Gerardo Vargas Varela, from Frente Amplio, presented a bill to establish a tax of $1 per box of pineapple exported.
The legislator indicated that, according to data provided by the National Chamber of Producers and Exporters of Pineapple, Costa Rica raised $941.95 million from fresh pineapple exports in 2017.
Vargas Varela said that the activity has experienced significant growth in recent years and added that, according to the data reported by the Executive Secretary of Agricultural Sector Planning, there are approximately 45,000 hectares of pineapple planted in the country.
The congressman explained that the collected resources would be allocated to local governments, so that they can invest in the social and economic development of the communities where the fruit is planted.
It is important to add that there is currently a law in force on November 16th, 1971 that imposes a tax on the export of bananas. In this sense, the idea of establishing taxes on the production of crops has been endorsed and analyzed by the legislators of that time,”
exposed Vargas.