Jean Peña Payano, La Fortaleza’s secretary of Public Affairs, could not say on Thursday, November 5 when the debt for the so-called Carrera Magisterial will be fully paid, whether Governor Jenniffer González will sign a House resolution ordering cancellation of the Genera PR contract, or when problems with the government’s ERP system will be fixed. In recent days, the Teachers Association demanded that González honor her June 22 promise to pay 5,850 teachers $90.4 million owed retroactively under the Carrera Magisterial.
"Lo vamos a cumplir"
After González and Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés announced on June 22 that money was available, Office of Management and Budget director Orlando Rivera Berríos said on August 14 that an audit of the funds had to be completed before seeking authorization from the Oversight Board. Four months after the promise, the teachers’ representative under Law 45 has no payment calendar to offer.
Peña Payano said pending cases date from 2010 and that $100 million was disbursed in the summer to pay what he called the bulk of the teachers owed money. "Ojalá que sea ya" (hopefully it happens soon), he said, adding "Lo vamos a cumplir" (we will fulfill it) without saying when. On Genera PR, he said the measure still must be confirmed by the Senate and that "the governor will determine" after evaluation, calling it a "legal contractual" matter.
He also could not say when payments to government suppliers, thrown into chaos by the ERP implementation, will normalize, and referred claims about government debts in a march convened Thursday to the General Services Administration, which he noted is independent by law. He said "part of the debt" claimed by the Transporters Federation was paid.