DDEC Knocks on Utuado's Door This Wednesday: Economic Services Road Trip Reaches the Mountains

The Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) is setting up a stop of its "Desarrollo Economico en Ruta" (Economic Development on the Road) initiative in Utuado this Wednesday, September 23, bringing permits, incentives, job connections and business guidance directly to the mountain municipality, so residents do not have to travel to the agency's headquarters in San Juan ¹².

The initiative launched on September 2 at an intergovernmental summit with mayors and legislators, and has since passed through Salinas (September 8) and Vega Alta (September 15) before arriving in Utuado this week ²³. DDEC Secretary Carlos Rios Pierluisi explained the reasoning behind the project in a line that sums up the problem it is trying to solve: "Many citizens and entrepreneurs cannot come directly to us at DDEC to receive our support... Now we are going to them with the entire team necessary, because we have 78 reasons to progress" ². Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon added that the goal is to "take government services out of the offices and deliver them directly to people" ².

At the launch, DDEC presented a set of indicators backing the economic moment behind the tour: an unemployment rate of 5.7%, a historic low, across a workforce of roughly 1.2 million people; an average wage of $18 per hour; and the creation of 3,971 new corporations ³. The agency also reported 30 manufacturing reshoring projects from 28 companies, with $2.621 billion in committed private investment, 5,129 new jobs and $584 million in committed payroll, plus a $6.8 billion trade surplus, up 55% from the prior year, and the highest sustained labor-force participation rate since 2009 ²³.

On permits specifically, DDEC reported that between January and August it received 92,225 applications and issued 77,926, with 68.9% of cases resolved within 30 days or less ³. That is precisely the area that weighs most on merchants in towns like Utuado, where a process that takes one visit in San Juan can mean a full day of travel for a mountain-town resident.

What it means for you

If you are a merchant, farmer or aspiring business owner in Utuado, Camuy, Luquillo, Ciales or Lajas, this tour saves you the trip to San Juan for a first orientation. DDEC staff — including representatives from the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) — will be available to explain incentive programs, help you identify which permits you need, and connect your business to job or export opportunities ³⁴. The stops also include targeted workshops on artificial intelligence, marketing, human resources and finance, designed for small businesses that normally lack access to that kind of training outside the metro area ³.

For workers and the unemployed, the job-connection component could be a first point of contact with openings tied to the 30 manufacturing reshoring projects DDEC says it has attracted this year, many of which are hiring outside San Juan ².

How to do it / Checklist

1. Check your municipality's date: Utuado is September 23; next come Camuy (September 30), Luquillo (October 6), Ciales (October 13) and Lajas (October 21) ²³.
2. Confirm the exact venue and time through www.desarrollo.pr.gov or DDEC's official social media before you head out, since sessions are usually held at municipal facilities.
3. Bring a valid photo ID and, if you already run a business, your merchant registration certificate and up-to-date municipal license — the documents DDEC staff most often ask for during incentive orientation.
4. If you're looking to start a new business, come with a clear idea of your business line so the PRIDCO team can guide you on available properties and incentives in your region ³.
5. If you can't attend in person, reach DDEC's Centro Unico de Servicios (Single Service Center) through the www.sbp.pr.gov portal to file permits or request incentive guidance without leaving your town.
6. Write down specific questions about your case — backlogged permits, tax incentives, export program connections — since the stops run on limited time and staff serve on a first-come, first-served basis.

What's next

After Utuado, the tour continues to Camuy, Luquillo, Ciales and Lajas through October 21, closing out the seven-municipality pilot phase ²³. DDEC has not yet confirmed a second phase, but the governor has said the goal is for the model to eventually reach all 78 of the island's municipalities ². Meanwhile, the agency will keep reporting employment and permit indicators as part of its narrative that the economy, despite the slowdown the Planning Board is projecting for this fiscal year, is holding onto growth points in manufacturing and exports that the government wants to translate into local opportunities before the calendar year ends.