June 2015: Puerto Rico’s Troubled Decade Ahead
The public discussion surrounding the government’s attempt to overhaul PR’s tax system coupled with fresh indications that some agencies are on the brink of insolvency is quickly shifting the economic prospects for the next decade. Regrettably, the current situation risks intensifying the ongoing migration wave which, were it to materialize, could lead to a long-lasting plateau. As it stands, population and public finances are the economy’s two most fundamental issues. To grasp this, we take a look at the unfolding long-term scenarios within the current public policy context. Next month’s issue of Pulse will follow this up by examining an alternative scenario, where public policy undergoes a significant turnaround starting in 2017. Whatever the specific outcome nonetheless, one thing is clear: economic activity will not recover without first correcting its misaligned fundamentals.