U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves visited Puerto Rico Feb. 6-9 to discuss the outcome of December’s Puerto Rico Economic Dialogue with members of academia, public policy, government, community-led organizations and the private sector.
Graves announced a $109 million Treasury Department SSBCI grant to support access to capital for small and medium-sized enterprises, according to a Commerce Department news release.
“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to helping Puerto Rico prosper, and the economic dialogue offered a platform for the U.S. and Puerto Rico to align on shared policy priorities that benefit all Puerto Rican communities and support the formulation of a comprehensive path for economic growth,” Graves said in the release.
He announced a nearly $3 million National Telecommunications and Information Connecting Minority Communities award to Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. He encouraged businesses in Puerto Rico to participate in the 2022 Economic Census, the release reported.
This was his third visit to Puerto Rico while serving as the Biden administration’s Puerto Rico Economic Growth Coordinator. It was the first time he traveled to the archipelago and his first trip since the inaugural economic dialogue with the government of Puerto Rico, hosted by the White House in December of last year, according to the release.
The economic dialogue brought the governments together to endorse the implementation of actions and partnerships over the course of 2023, the release reported. It is centered around four pillars: workforce development; investing in infrastructure, energy and resilience; building a diversified economy; and improving governance and data collection.
Graves met with leaders from the construction, manufacturing and banking segments, among others, during his visit to Puerto Rico, the release reported. The trip highlights the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting Puerto Rico's economic growth and development.
