Immediate privatization demand causes surprise to WIPR president

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“It takes us by surprise.”

This is how Eric Delgado, president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, reacted to the letter from the Fiscal Oversight Board (JSF) requesting “immediate” privatization WIPR operating entity (channel 6).

Delgado indicated that they had begun to elaborate a general plan, which has already been presented to the JSF, but noted that various circumstances have delayed the process and that in the midst of the emergency caused by COVID-19, this is not the time to rush a bill.

“The timing is not right … Yes, we had begun to develop the project, but it was in its infancy, complying with what the JSF requested, but the coronavirus fell on us,” Delgado said in an interview with Radio Isla 1320.

“It is going to be a bit uphill to do something well thought out“Bringing the plans to a bill is not easy and takes time.”

The JSF – in the voice of its executive director, Natalie Jaresko – has rejected a government request to raise additional funds funds to WIPR, because by this date, the public corporation should be in the hands of a non-profit entity.

This was revealed by a letter sent yesterday, Monday, to the executive director of the Office of Management and Budget (OGP), Iris Santos Díaz, to the president of the WIPR board of directors, Ralph Pagán, and to the president of the radio television station.

“The (JSF) requires the immediate implementation of the plan to privatize WIPR as required by the certified central government fiscal plan. The lack of progress in this matter violates the requirements established in the certified fiscal plan and the vision publicly disclosed by the government of Puerto Rico regarding a transformed radio and television transmission system, ”wrote Jaresko.

Given this scenario, the Corporation could be inoperative at any time, unless in a blink of an eye, the Legislature and Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced approve legislation to transfer the state public station to a non-profit corporation.

According to Delgado, various situations have caused delays in the privatization process, with which the government has already indicated that it agrees. Among the circumstances, he highlighted the change of governor and the earthquakes earlier this year.

For Delgado, the expedited approval of a bill “is not impossible”, but stated that taxpayers do not deserve to work “on the run” and warned that it may bring imperfections and, therefore, “errors” that may affect the same process of privatization of the stations of the government.

The official stated that he would need at least 45 to 60 days to complete the process of preparing the bill, but acknowledged that the intention of the Board is for the measure to be approved in the current legislative session.

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