Argentina’s government intends to decentralise decision-making at the Cabinet chief’s office level and, under new appointee Guillermo Francos, is working on additional changes to agencies, secretariats and state-run companies.
Sources who contributed to the decision to oust Nicolás Posse from the position say the previous post-holder had concentrated “too much within its jurisdiction” and that President Javier Milei wants to delegate powers to other ministries.
“The chief’s office has too much within its jurisdiction, which creates a bottleneck which hinders administration,” admitted one of the head of state’s collaborators.
Following Francos’ appointment, the libertarian administration wants to “return to the different ministries” powers already absorbed by the Cabinet chief’s office and review the breakdown of boards and guidelines to be adopted by state-run companies.
Currently, the Cabinet chief’s office concentrates eight secretariats, which the government believes overwhelms anyone holding the post.
“Nicolás Posse was snowed under with tasks and when you do that, it’s very difficult to see to all of them,” Francos said this week, underlining that the Cabinet chief “cannot assume tasks which belong to ministries.”
The goal is to decentralise agencies so Francos can focus on political tasks and to assess the whole structure of the Cabinet chief’s office. “There are lots of jurisdictions to get rid of to give him more political and fewer administration tasks,” another top government source explained.
“The entire structure of the chief’s office will be evaluated. Francos has to put together his own team,” they added.
Addressing Posse’s direction of the office, the source said the departed official had “not properly interpreted the President’s vision.” They put this down not to ill will but to “ignorance” of the office’s functions.
This latest round of changes has seen Francos’ previous portfolio, the Interior Ministry, reduced to a secretariat. It will likely depend on a new creation that will be headed by Central Bank ex-governor Federico Sturzenegger and be dedicated to state reform and economic deregulation.
by Sofia Rojas, Noticias Argentinas
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