Rosselló signs executive orders to achieve savings, reorganize several agencies
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló a pair of executive orders to achieve efficiencies in the Insurance Commissioners’ Office and the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, as well as other offices related to the agricultural industry.
Furthermore, the governor resubmitted to the Legislative Assembly the administration’s Reorganization Plan and the bill to consolidate various agencies under the Department of Labor and Human Resources. The agencies are expected to generate $5.8 million in savings in Fiscal 2019 and cumulative savings of $73 million by Fiscal 2023.
Through an executive order, the Insurance Commissioners’ Office (OCS, by its initials in Spanish) and the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF, by its initials in Spanish) are required to enter into collaborative agreements to achieve better management and significant savings in accordance with the Fiscal Plan.
Similarly, the Department of Agriculture, the Agricultural Companies Development Administration and the Farm Insurance Corporation have been ordered to engage in the same type of collaborative agreements.
Through such agreements, agencies can share resources, services and handling human resources and labor relations; accounting; communications; legal; maintenance, purchasing and supplied materials; and messaging, mail and transportation.
Agencies may also share resources, services and expenses of professional and non – professional services; technical support in the computer field; as well as leases of facilities and any other services and functions that agencies deem appropriate.
The agriculture-related agencies have already begun sharing services, to begin generating services, to reach the expected savings of $2.5 million in Fiscal 2019 and $30 million cumulative through 2023, the governor said.
In the certified Fiscal Plan reorganizations and efficiencies at government agencies are expected to yield some $1.4 billion in cumulative savings through Fiscal 2023.
In the case of the OCIF and the OCS, the estimated savings are of $1 million for Fiscal 2019 and $12.8 million cumulative through Fiscal 2023.
At the end of last regular legislative session, the governor signed five reorganization plans: Department of Economic Development and Commerce, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the Public Service Regulatory Board, the Model Forest and Board of Education.
