May 2015: The PR Budget: Averting Doomsday?
Governor García-Padilla submitted his fiscal year 2016 central government budget request for $9,800 million and a consolidated budget for $28,820 million in spending to the PR legislature on May 20, 2015. Both budgets involve a 2.5% increase over fiscal 2015. The Governor’s proposal relies on new and higher taxes, approved on May 29, 2015. Despite fierce opposition from some members of the incumbent and opposing political parties, Act 72 imposed an 11.5% enlarged SUT plus a megastore tax, effective July 1. However, according to the president of the Government Development Bank “…it is likely that the Treasury will not have the necessary liquidity to operate during the first quarter of fiscal 2016. The lack of cash on hand to operate the central government is exacerbated since at present the GDB does not have enough liquidity to finance the Commonwealth”. How did we get here?