Governor touts $900 million reduction in contracts in 15 months.

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón

By THE STAR STAFF

In what her administration describes as an unprecedented achievement, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced on Tuesday the reduction of $900 million in government contracts during her first 15 months in office -- an effort she says establishes a new standard of fiscal discipline, administrative control, and transparency across the executive branch.

“This result is real, it took work, and it deserves to be discussed,” the governor said as she continued a series of visits around the island, presenting her administration’s progress directly to residents. The news came as her chief of staff, Francisco J. Domenech Fernández, was cited to testify about government contracts. 

According to the administration, the historic reduction is largely attributable to Executive Order OE‑2025‑008, a sweeping governance and administrative oversight framework intended to strengthen review and supervision of contracting, appointments, and operational transactions across executive branch agencies.

Before the order’s implementation, the Office of Management and Budget had long faced structural limitations, lacking visibility into spending decisions made within government entities outside its immediate jurisdiction. OE‑2025‑008 introduced a new requirement mandating that all agencies notify and submit key fiscal and operational decisions for centralized evaluation.

Officials say the policy shift has allowed for more comprehensive and transparent review of government transactions, significantly curbing inefficiencies and redundancies in contracts.

“All credit rating agencies have followed this process closely, and many couldn’t believe the results,” the governor noted. “Thanks to this oversight, we’ve achieved unprecedented control over contracts, demonstrating fiscal discipline never seen before.”

The Financial Oversight and Management Board has also acknowledged the administration’s efforts, González Colón said. She highlighted that the government is now in the final stages of processing a fiscal relief check -- a sign, she said, of the administration’s evolving model of responsibility and financial order.

Without naming specific critics, the governor addressed what she characterized as ongoing distractions aimed at minimizing her administration’s accomplishments.

“There are those who prefer not to look at what we’re doing because they’re uncomfortable seeing results,” she said. “But even if they look the other way, the facts speak for themselves: $900 million less in contracts and fiscal discipline without precedent. The surprise is only for those who didn’t think this was possible.”

In addition to the fiscal measures, González Colón cited other areas of progress during her administration’s first 15 months. She noted that power interruptions attributed to LUMA Energy have been reduced and said that in the first 80 days of 2026 alone, her administration has launched infrastructure projects and initiatives totaling more than $2.7 billion.

“There is a strategy to distract, but the historic achievements are in plain sight,” the governor said. “That is why I’m traveling throughout the island and sitting down with the people -- to ensure the message is clear: everything we do is for the benefit of the people.”