(Reuters) – US President Donald Trump has decided Thursday to expand the use of emergency aid to help rebuild Puerto Rico’s power grid and other infrastructure destroyed by Hurricane Maria, the White House said on Wednesday.
In a single agreement recognizing both the massive devastation of the island and its serious financial problems, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance for infrastructure projects will be released more quickly and easily than in other Natural disasters. A House official told the press.
The plan, agreed with Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rossello, also provides for third-party advisors to estimate how much money is needed for large-scale projects, and how it is spent – a provision to protect taxpayers’ money in what is expected to be a massive and long-term effort to rebuild the island.
“We do it in a way that gives flexibility, but also imposes a set of mutually agreed controls,” said the official in an interview.
The new agreement will allow FEMA to cover 90% of the costs of rebuilding public infrastructure, compared to the 75% average.
