By The Star Staff
The Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority (AAFAF by its Spanish initials) issued an administrative order OA-2023-003 late last week to establish the second phase of the Voluntary Transition Program (PTV by its Spanish initials) for employees of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA).
The order, issued Friday, comes as Genera PR prepares to take over PREPA’s power plants in July.
AAFAF Executive Director Omar Marrero Díaz said t”we consider it necessary to offer PREPA employees the opportunity to take advantage of a new phase of the Voluntary Transition Program so that they can benefit from the program’s incentives.”
“This way, we offer an additional alternative to those employees interested in moving to a new phase in their professional career,” he added.
Marrero Díaz said the PTV benefits include: an economic incentive equivalent to six months’ salary, a final settlement for vacation leave and accumulated overtime, and a $600 incentive for health-related expenses.
The period in which public servants may request the PTV begins with the approval of the order and ends on June 26.
“The AAFAF considers it necessary and appropriate to give PREPA employees the opportunity to take advantage of this Voluntary Transition Program and benefit from the incentives it offers,” Marrero Díaz said. “This has the purpose of attending to, in a fiscally responsible manner, the PREPA reorganization process in conjunction with the transition process of the generation fleet to Genera Puerto Rico.”
Under the program, eligible employees will be considered to occupy regular or transitional career positions. The PTV excludes those employees whose salaries are paid in whole or in part with federal funds. In addition, any employees in positions of trust would also be excluded, unless they have the right to reinstatement to a career position before becoming a program participant, Marrero Díaz said.