Minimum Wage Evaluation Commission stalled due to lack of quorum

By THE STAR STAFF

The Minimum Wage Evaluation Commission has been left without the necessary quorum to continue its work following the resignation of one of its members; consequently, the Puerto Rico Economists Association has asked Gov. Jenniffer González Colón to finalize the pending appointments.

“This is no longer simply a matter of filling out the Commission’s membership. Without a quorum, the Commission cannot carry out the functions assigned to it by law,” Economists Association President Héctor Tavárez said in a written statement. “Leaving vacancies unaddressed effectively paralyzes the mechanism Puerto Rico established to evaluate its minimum wage policy. It is up to the Government to take action so that the Commission can resume its work.”

The body, created by Law 47-2021, is responsible for evaluating minimum wage policy in Puerto Rico.

Tavárez noted that the situation is particularly critical given the rising cost of living -- especially electricity costs -- and the economic hardships facing Puerto Rican households.

In highlighting those issues, the organization cited the “Food Security Report in Puerto Rico 2026,” published by Espacios Abiertos, the Triple-S Foundation and Nutriendo Puerto Rico. The report found that 40.8% of adults face some degree of food insecurity, while 51.9% reported difficulties in regularly obtaining and consuming nutritious food.

“In a country where four out of 10 adults face some degree of food insecurity, where more than half report difficulties obtaining nutritious food, and where electricity costs are rising again, the discussion regarding wages takes on even greater urgency,” Tavárez said. “We cannot allow the body created precisely to study these conditions and evaluate wage policy to remain paralyzed.”