CNE – Centro Para Una Nueva Economía – Center for a New Economy
Non-profit, economic research and policy development organization
It has been about three years and eight months since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. It is a good time as any, to take stock of the post-storm reconstruction and recovery process as we approach the beginning of yet another hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean.
Last week, the Office of the Inspector General of the HUD released a 45-page report which detailed the multiple instances when the political leadership in OMB, a critical control center within the Executive Office of the President, purposefully delayed processes to release disaster aid.
The FOMB for Puerto Rico certified a new fiscal plan for the central government on Friday, April 23. The new Fiscal Plan, just like the others, is based on four core elements: (1) budget consolidation (spending cuts and revenue increases); (2) structural reforms; (3) debt relief; and (4) federal funding for disaster relief and COVID-19 assistance.
The agreement between PREPA and LUMA Energy for the operation and management of Puerto Rico’s electric grid has been in the public spotlight recently. Many private sector organizations, as well as multiple NGOs, have pointed out the deficiencies of that agreement. Yet, canceling or terminating the agreement with LUMA will not solve Puerto Rico’s electricity problems.
In Washington D.C., the symbolic deadline for a new President to make a lasting imprint on the nation is exactly 100 days. After all, first impressions matter. As the Administration and the new Congress near their 100-day mark respectively Puerto Rico has, for better or worse, not been lost in the mix of national priorities.
Ponencia del Centro para una Nueva Economía ante la Comisión de Desarrollo Económico, Planificación, Telecomunicaciones, Alianzas Público Privadas y Energía de la Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico. Vista Pública Sobre la R. de la C. 136.
Weeks before the first reported case of Covid-19 in Puerto Rico, it was evident that our public health system was unfit to address the looming crisis.
De la reciente discusión pública en Puerto Rico sobre la Asistencia por Desempleo Pandémico y el retorno a los centros de trabajo parecería como si las prestaciones sociales fueran una especie de anatema para la inserción en el mercado laboral. Ambas, sin embargo, deben mirarse de forma interrelacionada y requieren de una fina calibración por parte de los gobiernos.
