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WORLD NEWS Thursday 9 March 2017

Board: Puerto Rico needs to take emergency action

DANICA COTO services contracts by 50
Associated Press percent and cut health
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) care costs by negotiating
— A federal control board drug prices and reducing
warned on Wednesday the rates of health plans
that Puerto Rico’s govern- and providers.
ment needs to take “ma- The board also urged Puer-
jor emergency actions” to to Rico’s Fiscal Agency and
avoid shutting down be- Financial Advisory Adminis-
cause its cash flow is criti- tration to take immediate
cally low. control of all the govern-
The comments published ment’s accounts, revenues
in a letter to Gov. Ricardo and expenses. The public
Rossello are the sharpest corporation was created
yet made by a board that last year and has fiscal and
recently began overseeing administrative autonomy.
the U.S. territory’s finances. The letter sparked concern
The board released an au- among Puerto Ricans and
dited financial statement riled government officials,
that found this year’s gov- including Public Affairs Sec-
ernment expenses could retary Ramon Rosario.
be understated by $360 “This administration is not
million to $810 million. It considering furloughs for
warned that Puerto Rico its public employees in the
could face a $190 million fiscal plan,” he told report-
cash deficit by July. ers. “To the board: Do not
“Without major emergen- shoot from the hip.” Governor Ricardo Rossello speaks in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A federal control board warned on
cy actions, the Common- The letter was released Wednesday that Puerto Rico’s government needs to take “major emergency actions” to avoid
shutting down because its cash flow is critically low.
wealth soon will be unable on the same day that the (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)
to pay essential services, Spanish-language daily El
including pensions, edu- Nuevo Dia published a col- keeps ticking.” such as cutting govern- get “without the need to
cation, health care and umn by Carrion warning Gov. Ricardo Rossello sub- ment payroll by 30 percent reduce the workweek and
public safety in a matter that medium- and long- mitted a revised fiscal plan and slashing the public take more drastic mea-
of months,” wrote board term measures will not be last week that contains pension system by 10 per- sures.”
chairman Jose Carrion. sufficient. several medium- and long- cent. “I trust the board will give it-
The warning comes ahead “Puerto Rico has run out term measures to cut costs Rossello said in a state- self time ... and analyze the
of a meeting on Monday of money and time,” he and generate revenue. The ment that the government measures and data that
where the board is expect- wrote. “This is only going plan lacks austerity mea- already has taken several it has been provided,” he
ed to approve a fiscal plan to get worse as the clock sures the board is seeking, steps to balance the bud- said. q
that many believe will be
amended to include aus- Panama ex-dictator Noriega is critical after brain surgeries
terity measures.
The board recommend- JUAN ZAMORANO go back in that afternoon, The tumor was detected in Jan. 29 to prepare for the
ed in its letter that Puerto Associated Press his daughters and lawyer the months after Noriega procedure, which was orig-
Rico’s government take PANAMA CITY (AP) — For- said. returned to Panama in De- inally scheduled for mid-
four key steps immediately. mer Panamanian dictator Noriega attorney Ezra An- cember 2011 and was im- February.
Among those is a furlough Manuel Noriega was in criti- gel said doctors succeed- prisoned for corruption and The former general ruled
for government workers, cal condition and sedated ed in stopping the bleed- the killings of political op- Panama with an iron fist in
teachers and other pub- in a hospital’s intensive ing during the second pro- ponents during his reign in 1983-89.
lic employees to save as care unit Wednesday after cedure, and Noriega was the 1980s. He was ousted by a U.S. in-
much as $40 million. The undergoing two brain sur- returned to intensive care. Doctors have said it grew vasion in 1989 and jailed for
furlough for government geries. “His condition has not im- unexpectedly recently and years in the United States
workers would be four Noriega, 83, underwent proved, nor has it wors- threatened the life of the on drug charges.
days a month while those the first procedure Tuesday ened,” Angel said Wednes- former dictator, who has He was then imprisoned in
for teachers would be two morning to remove a be- day. also suffered from vascular France for money launder-
days a month. The board nign tumor from his brain. Officials at the Santo Tomas ailments and uses a wheel- ing, before being returned
also advised the govern- But after that surgery, doc- public hospital in Panama chair. in 2011 to Panama, where
ment to slash professional tors discovered a hemor- City did not comment or Noriega was transferred he had already been con-
rhage that forced them to return calls. from prison to house arrest victed in absentia.q