Puerto Rico News Digest For October 4, 2016

WEATHER SYSTEM COULD BECOME STORM

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From The National Hurricane Center:

"Showers and thunderstorms continue in association with a low pressure area 
located about 500 miles northeast of Puerto Rico. Satellite wind data indicate 
that the low is producing winds to gale force, and the system could become su-
fficiently well organized to result in the formation of a tropical storm later today.  
The low is expected to move generally northwestward at 10 to 15 mph over the 
next few days, and upper-level winds are forecast to become less conducive for 
development. Formation chance through 48 hours...high...80 percent. Formation 
chance through 5 days...high...80 percent..."

BOARD SETS DEADLINE FOR TURNAROUND PLAN

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"Puerto Rico’s newly created federal oversight board on Friday set an Oct.14
deadline for the island’s governor to draft a fiscal turnaround plan, as protesters
at its first public meeting compared the board to “slavery” and said it was “pilla-
ging Puerto Rico.” The board asked Gov. Alejandro García Padilla to present a
plan laying out his vision for stabilizing Puerto Rico, which is grappling with $70
billion in debt, a 45 percent poverty rate and a decade-long recession..."

DONAHUE TO TESTIFY ABOUT BLACKOUT

From Caribbean Business:

"The Senate Committee on Energy and Water Resources has summoned the ch-
ief restructuring officer of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (Prepa), Li-
sa Donahue, to appear Tuesday as part of the hearings that began last week to in-
vestigate the possible reasons that led to the collapse the electrical system on Sep-
tember 21 and the delay in the restoration of electrical service. The president of the
committee, Popular Democratic Party Sen. Ramón Luis Nieves, said that Donahue
should give details before the Senate panel about the work done by her firm, Alix
Partners, since it was hired by Prepa in September 2014 to restructure the utility’s
debt and transform the operations of the public corporation..."

CUSTOMS SEIZES $1.5M IN COUNTERFEIT GOODS

From News Is My Business:


"U.S. Customs and Border Protection San Juan Field Operations announced today
that 206 seizures where made of counterfeit products, valued at $1.5 million, wh-
ich were illegally imported into Puerto Rico via international mail. A wide range
of counterfeited products was seized during the enforcement effort, called “Oper-
ation Silver Snake 2,” to include: consumer products, apparel, footwear, textiles,
pharmaceuticals, and more, the agency said. Various international mail packages
inspected by CBP officers at the San Juan International Mail Branch revealed pro-
ducts that infringedintellectual property rights. The majority of the seized products
originated in China, the agency said..."