The corporations engage in commercial activities with their revenues ultimately being allocated towards the government's treasury —the Puerto Rico Consolidated Fund— or towards the corresponding municipal treasury.
Some of them have been criticized since their creation since they are not profitable and depend on the issue of bonds or large indebtedness to operate,[1] or because they constitute a government monopoly or control a unique asset (such as a port, toll, or land).
As of 2015, the public corporations contributed to more than half of the public debt of Puerto Rico[citation needed] —a factor that contributed significantly to the Puerto Rican government-debt crisis[original research?]
— with COFINA, PRASA, PRHTA, and PREPA being the largest holders.
As of November 2012, the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico owned 52 government-owned corporations with an outstanding debt of $48.7B USD.