Eurico Monteiro appointed minister in government reshuffle leaves Cape Verde embassy in Portugal

After eight years as ambassador to Portugal, Eurico Monteiro has taken over the portfolio of the newly created Ministry of Investment Promotion and Business Development, whose main tasks will be to promote and attract domestic, foreign and diaspora private investment, as well as professional training and promoting entrepreneurship.

In addition, Eurico Monteiro, who presented his credentials on January 12, 2017 as Cape Verde's ambassador to Portugal, was also appointed Minister of State Modernization and Public Administration, a post previously held by Edna Oliveira.

According to the head of government, the reshuffle proposal was presented to the President of the Republic and "promptly accepted", resulting in several changes to the ministerial structure and the appointment of new members to the executive.

The reform also abolishes the post of Secretary of State for Business Development and the Secretary of State for Higher Education, and the Ministry of Finance and Business Development becomes just the Ministry of Finance, keeping Olavo Correia as the head of the portfolio, now, according to Ulisses Correia e Silva, with greater availability for the economic coordination of cross-cutting policies.

The Ministry of Communities will now fall under the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration and the portfolio will be held by José Filomeno Monteiro.

Among the new appointments are José Luís Sá Nogueira as Minister of Tourism and Transport, Jorge Figueiredo in Health and Víctor Coutinho in Infrastructure, Spatial Planning and Housing.

The government reshuffle led to the resignation of Carlos Santos, Edna Oliveira, Filomena Gonçalves, Eunice Silva, Adalgisa Vaz and Eurídice Monteiro, as well as changes in the Ministry of Finance.

With these changes, the government will now consist of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, 15 ministers and five Secretaries of State.

Inforpress/End