By H. Calero Consulting Group Puerto Rico Compass© • • • 0 Comments

Q4-2018: Less Than the Sum of Its Parts

Less Than the Sum of Its Parts How Puerto Rico´s Q4-2018 Economic Indices Performed

How Puerto Rico´s Q4-2018 Economic Indices Performed

The end of 2018 left a rather enigmatic picture of PR’s economy as most indices performed well in Q4 with the notable exception of the key leading indicator. It looks as if the accumulation of delays in the disbursements of reconstruction funds coupled with continuous decline in the resident population and the pending consequences of the federal government shutdown started in December—including the possibility that funds initially appropriated to PR could be reallocated to finance the President’s wall—simply worsened expectations Island-wide. At the sector level, manufacturing continued to pull its weight on the back of US demand in spite of changes to the tax code whilst banking slowed down slightly. The first $1.5 bn recently disbursed CDBG-DR funds surely bode well for economic activity over the next few quarters. It remains to be seen, however, whether these will be enough to sustain economic growth in the long-term.

Puerto Rico Economic Pulse ©
By H. Calero Consulting Group Puerto Rico Economic Pulse© • • 0 Comments

12/2018: 2018 – A Year of Lost Opportunities

Lost OpportunitiesSerious challenges continue to estrange the economic outlook everywhere
2018 came in on the heels of a devastating last three months in 2017, with the anticipation that it would finally bring the opportunities that PR needed to debunk its economic malaise. Yet, 12 months later we are about to exit it with basically more questions than answers and an almost universal dismay with the ongoing situation. To make matters more unsettling, we continue to lack consensus—and with it a sense of collective purpose—on what needs to be done in the best interest of PR, its people and the holders of the Commonwealth´s defaulted debt. Matters elsewhere have not helped either as the accumulation of tension and disruption continued unabated throughout the year. The US-China trade war and the accompanying political instability in the developed world stand to leave unintended consequences on the Island sooner rather than later. Businesses will need to focus on risk mitigation at all levels in 2019 as PR continues its painfully slow reconstruction process, hoping for the best but, certainly, preparing for the unexpected.