Puerto Rico governor to reduce taxes, increase salaries
Source: Associated Press
Danica Coto, Associated Press
Associated PressMarch 5, 2018
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Puerto Rico's governor pledged Monday to reduce taxes, raise pay for police officers and implement work requirements for those on welfare to help the U.S. territory recover from Hurricane Maria amid the island's 11-year-old economic crisis.
The annual address by Gov. Ricardo Rossello lasted more than an hour and focused on crime, housing, labor, health and energy as anger and frustration grows across the island of 3.3 million people over an increase in crime and what many believe are slow hurricane-recovery efforts. More than 15 percent of power customers remain in the dark nearly six months after the Category 4 storm, and the Atlantic hurricane season begins in less than three months.
Rossello announced he would reduce a sales-and-use tax for processed food from 11.5 percent to 7 percent as well as lower taxes on individuals and corporations. He said he also plans to help secure property deeds for hurricane victims who didn't have them and as a result could not obtain federal funding to repair their homes after the storm caused more than $100 billion in damage.
"It's been a year of intense work, overcoming great challenges and difficulties," Rossello said. "We all have lessons to learn from this hurricane experience with no precedence."
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