Ministers’ relatives will no longer be able to occupy positions in the national government, President Mauricio Macri announced at a press conference on Monday.
“I know that this measure will mean that we lose many valuable team members and that makes me sad, but we have always said that we want to make this a more transparent country”, Macri said, standing before ministers and the media.
“I hope that this is an example for Argentine politics in its entirety. I invite all jurisdictions in the country to do the same,” he added.
The president will implement the measure by decree. Modernisation Ministry sources told Perfil that the change will apply to relatives linked to ministers by blood or marriage to the second degree. They will no longer be able to occupy roles in any ministry or decentralised bureau, or public company.
The measure will affect a handful of high-ranking ministers' relatives, including Interior Ministy Rogelio Frigerio's (at least three relatives); Defence Minister Oscar Aguad's (at least one relative); Cabinet Chief Marcos Peña's (at least one relative); and Tourism Minister Gustavo Santos' (at least one relative).
TRIACA
Labour Minister Jorge Triaca is the minister with the most relatives in high-profile roles, with four.
Triaca’s wife Cecilia Loccisano is a coordinator at the Health Ministry; his sister Mariana Triaca is on the board of directors of Banco Nación; his brother-in-law Ernesto Martí Reta is a member of the board of the BICE commerce and investment bank; and his sister Lorena Triaca is the director of the government’s Investment Agency.
Triaca came under scrutiny this month for allegations he paid a former employee under the table. President Macri on Monday defended Triaca, standing by the minister despite recognising that he had made a mistake.
-TIMES
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