CNE – Centro Para Una Nueva Economía – Center for a New Economy
Non-profit, economic research and policy development organization
Fifty years later, the Tobin Report’s insights still resonate. As Puerto Rico grapples with debt burdens, federal oversight under PROMESA, and debates over economic sovereignty, its warnings about external dependence and the need to develop internal productive capacity are more urgent than ever.
In this policy brief, we break down the origins of the rum cover-over, how the money flows, where it goes, and how to make the most of it. CNE proposes an innovative alternative: the creation of the Puerto Rico Economic Development Fund for the 21st Century, modeled after Alaska’s successful Permanent Fund.
Sergio M. Marxuach provided the following written testimony for the “Puerto Rico’s Fiscal Recovery Under PROMESA and the Road Ahead” hearing held on July 16, 2025, by the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs of the US House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources.
In this policy brief we examine the impact of the new administration’s policies on Puerto Rico and the U.S. economy.
If Puerto Rico truly wishes to straighten the course of its economy, it is imperative to design a modern industrial policy that puts us at the forefront of global economic activity.
The performance of Puerto Rico’s electric power system has been deficient for many years now. During the last seven years the government of Puerto Rico has undertaken massive efforts to transform the system. Yet during the summer of 2024, most of these efforts appear to have been derailed.
We reviewed a summary of the main findings of the PR100 Study in a prior policy brief. This time around we want to focus on a handful of issues that we believe merit further public discussion and analysis in Puerto Rico.
Congress should not make U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico wait to receive a fair portion of their daily bread until the next Farm Bill deliberations in 2028. The time for Congress to discharge its legal and moral obligations to Puerto Rico is now.
