SIR – Increasing competition and reducing red tape are indeed necessary to boost Puerto Rico’s economic growth. But more important structural reform involves a fundamental shift in the nature of Puerto Rico’s economic activities. For more than five decades, federal tax incentives created an artificial manufacturing sector and diverted capital from Puerto Rico’s true comparative advantages.
Even after these gargantuan tax breaks disappeared in 2006, the island’s policymakers refused to believe that this subsidy was responsible for the existence of the now dying industry. Virtually none of the patents or technology used in production were home-grown. In a futile attempt to revive this sector, the island has ramped up local tax breaks. This continues to drain an already empty treasury.
Unrealistic aspirations for a knowledge economy deflect investment from such obviously competitive sectors as tourism and entertainment. To make matters worse, service jobs in these areas are often regarded as undignified. As a result, tourism and entertainment infrastructure remains meagre compared with other comparable locations.
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Nonetheless, the current administration has reasserted its intent to defend the island’s manufacturing sector and pursue only moderate tourism development. Continuing this course, Puerto Rico’s debt crisis will indeed get worse.
David Martin
Atlanta
