RICO’s Q – Today, November 1, was the anticipated date for the 2024 Marchamo to be issued with the decreased property tax for most vehicle owners. Nevertheless, it is not occurring due to the state insurer, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS), in charge of collecting the Marchamo, was denied the administrative charge for the digital Marchamo, a project that is scheduled to start in 2025.
In other words, got caught trying to overcharge the more than a million owners of vehicles who are required to pay the Marchamo by December 31.
On Tuesday the INS submitted to the insurance regulator, the Superintendencia General de Seguros (Sugese), the cost of the obligatory insurance – Seguro Obligatorio Automotor (SOA) – and an administrative cost of ¢2,264 (US$4.19) per vehicle, representing the value of the digital Marchamo.
The digital Marchamo does start until 2025.
Read more: Adios to the ‘stickers’, Costa Rica will aim for the digital Marchamo
Nice try. The result would have been a significant amount. But the Sugese said no.
“The INS regrets that its justifications were not taken into account, since their combined incorporation represented relief for the pockets of thousands of Costa Ricans,” said Mónica Araya, executive president of the INS, in a statement.
The INS explained away the advantage of the new sticker, which has a longer useful life, compared to the current one, so no additional expense will be incurred for future periods.
What it did forget is that the new sticker is not being delivered this year, but will be for next year. Maybe.
Read more: INS accelerates the Digital Marchamo plan
Araya stated that the INS will a revised application (without the added cost) today, Wednesday, for approval by the INS board of directors and submission to the Sugese and start charging the Marchamo by the end of the day, today.
“Tomorrow we will have the new rate scenarios for approval by our Board of Directors and send them this Wednesday to Sugese, so, if they are approved in the next few hours, the INS is fully capable of charging this November 1st,” said Araya.
For its part, the Sugese explained in a statement: “Currently, the process of purchasing the new stickers is in the correction stage by the bidders, so that not only their acquisition and distribution this year but also their final cost is uncertain.”
