The Office of the Inspector General says the Metropolitan Bus Authority, known as AMA, owes Hacienda $33.2 million in certified debt, according to a special report dated Oct. 16. AMA’s president says the agency acknowledges the findings.
The Office of the Inspector General’s report, numbered OIG-IE-27-012, cites a debt certified by Hacienda on Sept. 16, 2025, of $33,200,297.85. That total is $18,356,601.85 in principal, $8,501,979.14 in interest, $1,466,781.98 in surcharges and $4,874,934.88 in penalties.
The report also identifies $3,319,551.33 in unpaid withholdings for 2022 through 2024, certified by AMA’s finance director on June 17, 2025, and lists total questioned costs of $15,798,591.50.
AMA runs the bus system in the San Juan metropolitan area.
AMA’s response
AMA president Luis González Rosario said the agency “reconoce los hallazgos,” meaning it acknowledges the findings, and blamed past administrations, Noticel reported. He said Hacienda owes AMA $102.3 million in cigarette excise taxes, an amount AMA will seek to take into consideration when negotiating a payment agreement.
The Inspector General kept its findings because it saw no evidence of a payment agreement, Noticel reported.
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Sources: Office of the Inspector General; Noticel
Image: AI-generated illustration.
