Category Archives: Blog

Deputies of the Legislative Assembly define 16 behaviors as workplace harassment.

Deputies of the Legislative Assembly define 16 behaviors as workplace harassment. The bill named “Law to prevent and punish Labor Harassment in the public and private sector” pending before the Legislative Assembly since 2018, under file number 20,873, to identify, prevent, punish, prohibit and eradicate workplace harassment, was passed on October 5. The initiative includes…

Immigration: About the documentation process for foreigners in Costa Rica

All foreigners, whose MIGRATION CATEGORY IS APPROVED AND NOTIFIED AFTER OCTOBER 01, 2022, can request their appointment for the documentation process, however, the appointment will be granted as of January 2023. Important aspects: The appointment must be requested within 90 days after the notification of approval. The approval resolutions together with the appointment vouchers will…

Legislative Assembly of El Salvador approves new Fire Department Law

On October 4, 2022, the Legislative Assembly approved a new Fire Department Law for El Salvador. The purpose of the law is to modernize the fire department, giving it more institutional independence to enable a faster response to an emergency. This law implements an Ad-Valorem tax of 5% on the contracting, extension, renewal, or modification…

Reform to the Labor Code increase fines for labor infractions by employers in El Salvador

Legislative Assembly reforms the Labor Code to increase fines for labor infractions by employers On October 4, 2022, the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador reformed Art. 627 of the Labor Code to increase the fines for labor infractions against books I, II, and III of the Labor Code and those infractions that do not have…

New technical rules for the AML prevention in El Salvador

The Standards Committee of the Central Reserve Bank has issued new Technical Rules for the Management of Money Laundering and Asset Laundering Risks, Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation (NRP-36). As approved by the Central Reserve Bank on September 23, 2022, the Rules will enter into effect on October 10,…

El Salvador publishes a new orientation guide with preferential tax regimes

The Ministry of Finance has issued the new “general guide to facilitate the recognition of countries, states or territories with preferential tax regimes and tax treatment,” which will be in effect for the 2023 fiscal year. Under the provisions of article 62-A of the Tax Code, the guide facilitates the recognition of countries, states, or…

Modification of contributions to the IGSS for part-time work in Guatemala

The Board of Directors of the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security issued Agreement 1520 on August 4, in which it modifies the Regulation on the Collection of Contributions to the Social Security Regime, including the regulation of contributions in part-time work. Within the Agreement, the bases on which the quotas applicable to part-time work must…

Renewal process of migratory identity documents for foreigners in Costa Rica

The Immigration Office informed*, that upon expiration of the term (September 30, 2022) of the extension of the validity of the documents that accredit the legal permanence of foreigners in the country (known as DIMEX or popularly as cedulas de residencia), foreigners will have a term of three months to carry out the renewal procedure….

New law for the protection of breastfeeding is issued in El Salvador

On September 27, 2022, the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador issued the law, “Love Converted into Food for the Promotion, Protection and Support of Breastfeeding.” This law has labor implications for companies regarding the establishment of lactation rooms and the granting of paid breaks to recent mothers to breastfeed or collect their milk during working…

BLP advises on the repurchase of bonds of the Republic of El Salvador

BLP acted as legal counsel to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. as dealer manager, in respect of certain tender offers made by the Republic of El Salvador to repurchase in cash certain sovereign bonds due in 2023 and 2025, accordingly; for an aggregate of up to US$360 million in the first round, and up to $74 million in…