House Speaker-elect Ensures Cooperation With Fiscal Board

SAN JUAN — In a letter addressed to the Fiscal Oversight Board (FOB), House Speaker-elect Carlos “Johnny” Méndez said that the legislative chamber that will preside come January will take the required measures to implement necessary reforms designed to lift Puerto Rico from its fiscal and economic crises.

House Speaker-elect Carlos “Johnny” Méndez (Inter News Service)

In the letter addressed to FOB President José Carrión III, the House leader emphasized that “the people must not be penalized for the past administration’s actions.”

“The figure that the board certified as the government of Puerto Rico’s deficit in 10 years, which they estimated in $67.5 billion, clashes with data provided by [Gov.] Alejandro García Padilla’s administration, which had indicated that the deficit rounded some $58 billion. This dramatic contrast in financial information proves, once again, the complete lack of transparency and the use of public funds made by the exiting administration,” denounced Méndez in a written declaration.

The New Progressive Party (NPP) representative claimed that actions like offering incorrect data, “tied to lies” regarding the state of government finances, have left the island in a historic recession.

Read more: Rosselló Outlines Legislative Agenda

“It is important for the board to acknowledge the critical situation that approximately 3.5 million U.S. citizens in the island are enduring. Our people can’t be penalized for the past administration’s actions. We need to work together to reestablish our economy, create new jobs, restore trust in financial markets, and develop a new model that doesn’t reduce benefits to our pensioners and provides security to those affected by the longest recession in the history of the United States,” he concluded.

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