San Juan, Puerto Rico — (Thursday, November 20, 2025) The new Comptroller of Puerto Rico, Attorney Carmen A. Vega Fournier, CPA, held her first official meeting with the Group for the Prevention and Eradication of Corruption (PRECO), in a meeting led by the executive director of the Office of Government Ethics (OEG) and president of the body, Attorney Luis A. Pérez Vargas.
During the session, the Comptroller reaffirmed her commitment to transparency, the responsible use of public resources, and the modernization of the systems that support government oversight. The meeting made it possible to consolidate joint initiatives to strengthen internal controls, improve the exchange of information, and reinforce the early detection of irregularities in public management.
“Puerto Rico needs strong and coordinated institutions. Oversight is not an individual effort, but a united front. Working closely with each of these agencies allows us to anticipate risks, close gaps, and act with greater speed and precision for the benefit of Puerto Rico”, stated the new Comptroller, who is an attorney and Certified Public Accountant. The Comptroller also added: “I must emphasize that we have honest public officials in their vast majority, but history shows that not everyone acts that way. That is why we will never let our guard down; on the contrary, we will reinforce it”.
The PRECO group brings together the main entities responsible for oversight and compliance in Puerto Rico, including: Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico, Department of the Treasury, Office of the Inspector General of Puerto Rico, Department of Justice of Puerto Rico, FBI – San Juan Office, Puerto Rico Police, Office of the Independent Special Prosecutor Panel, and the OEG.
As part of the working group, the agencies agreed to promote technological interoperability projects, evaluate revisions to interagency protocols, and promote public education campaigns to strengthen ethics and integrity in government service.
In addition, this year Senate Bill 454 became law, becoming Act 84-2025, which seeks to strengthen the Anti-Corruption Code through amendments to Act 2-2018 in order to improve government oversight, optimize coordination among agencies, and ensure the effective implementation of anti-corruption policies. Among the most relevant changes, each agency's investigative authority over its contractors is reaffirmed and the structure of PRECO is formalized. In addition, its specific functions are established regarding interagency collaboration, the receipt of complaints, and the improvement of administrative and criminal processes, promoting the prompt enactment of regulations to avoid operational delays.
The Comptroller emphasized that her administration will rely on prevention, education, and interagency collaboration as essential pillars to combat corruption and strengthen citizen trust.
“This collective effort sends a direct message in Puerto Rico: corruption has no place and vigilance will be constant. Our people deserve institutions that protect every public dollar with rigor and great responsibility”, added Vega Fournier.
PRECO is created by Act No. 2 of January 4, 2018, known as the “Anti-Corruption Code for the New Puerto Rico”.
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