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Manuel Cidre, secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC), has proposed changes to the position that he will most likely leave at the end of this four-year term.

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Lee este artículo en español.

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Cidre was confirmed as DDEC secretary in June 2021. He came to the post after a long career as a businessman and also after running for governor as an independent candidate in the 2016 elections, when Ricardo Rosselló was elected by the New Progressive Party (PNP).

On Thursday, he participated in the inauguration of the Business Creation and Recovery Center in Caguas, a center established to guarantee the continuity of businesses in the 12 municipalities that are part of the East Central Technology Initiative (INTECO) consortium.

In an interview with Business, the veteran businessman said he will complete the four-year term with Governor Pedro Pierluisi.

“In January, I will be with my grandchildren, with my children, and helping out. I am fascinated by activities like this one (such as INTECO), and I believe that those of us at my age should be committed to continuity,” he said. “My commitment to the governor is until January 1. At this age, one becomes a person of commitments.”

Cidre revealed that when Pierluisi offered him the position, he thought it would be a two-year job, but later realized it required more time.

In the same vein, Cidre opined that a position such as the one he has held should last six years and not be a post that changes every four years.

“These positions should be viewed with a longer-term projection. I would separate them from the elections and make the term six years,” he said. “Ten years is a long time, but six years, and separated from the electoral event, is an advantage. Whoever comes after me, whoever replaces me, I assure you, will spend the first two years just learning. Extending the term to six years would give that necessary space. It would be a great measure, but it’s something that has been absent from the debates”.

Regarding the inauguration of the business center, the head of DDEC reflected on the permanence of INTECO, a municipal consortium that has existed for over two decades and, unlike other consortia, continues to operate.

According to Cidre, this model should be replicated in other areas to ensure that municipalities—especially smaller and poorer ones—can benefit from the support of towns with larger budgets and resources, as is the case with Caguas..

“It is a good time to take another look at this concept. This issue of regional collaboration brings us closer to these towns”, he said.

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This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.