The Costa Rican government allocated an extra 5 billion colons (9.6 million U.S. dollars) in its efforts to fight poverty, local media reported on Wednesday.

The money will be given to the Joint Social Support Institute, an organization which helps vulnerable groups including pensioners, the disabled, single mothers and children, said Diego Viquez, head of the institute.

"Some one billion colons (two million dollars) of the total money will go to those very small community-based businesses, educational institutions, rural irrigation facilities, school canteens and shelters for the homeless," Viquez said.

The government also simplified the paperwork so that the money reaches its designed beneficiaries on time, said Viquez.

Source: Xinhua