NGO Transparência Internacional Portugal with “indignation” hiring Sérgio Figueiredo by Finance – Observer
The president of the non-governmental organization Transparency International (TI) Portugal, Susana Coroado, said this Tuesday that she sees a contract by Sérgio Figueiredo by the Ministry of Finance with “indignation”, considering that it corresponds to “a pattern of patronage”.
On the one hand, we see it with indignation, because there are several serious dimensions to this appointment, which, in fact, legally, is a hiring, but, on the other hand, we are not surprised because it corresponds to a pattern of political patronage and the appointment of friends and exchange of favors that has been going on for several years in Portugal”, Susana Coroado told Lusa by telephone.
Público newspaper reports that the Ministry of Finance has hired the former information director of TVI and former administrator of the EDP Foundation Sérgio Figueiredo as a strategic consultant to carry out the evaluation and monitoring of the impact of public policies.
According to the newspaper, the contract in question is by direct agreement and Sérgio Figueire will increase a gross salary equivalent to the monthly salary of a minister, corresponding to 4,767 euros. Sérgio Figueiredo will begin to perform his duties on July 29.
According to Susana Coroado, “the curriculum of Sérgio Figueiredo is not well understood” for the cargo.
The curriculum of Sérgio Figueiredo is also not well understood. At Transparência Portugal, we are curious about the contract for the provision of services that we have on the Base portal of public procurement, because it is not understood”, added the president of the NGO.
In turn, the head of TI Portugal believes that what is happening is a retribution of the “favor that Sérgio Figueiredo, director of TVI, did to Fernando Medina, hiring him as a commentator”.
It is a contract that is an appointment through a public contract, because it gives the feeling that he could not be appointed on the other hand as a member of a normal line, because he would not receive the contract that he will receive”.
Susana Coro considered that it is “a pity that public procurement works”, for this example, which is a practice that has been used, in which Boys of the parties have contracts for the provision of services”.
Likewise, that these practices are recurrent and that “every month there is talk of a controversial appointment” without accountability.
“The question is two and how in your life without people do you last or start to continue polemics following a warning that these practices weaken and weaken your credibility. a democracy.
The problem is that this type of attitude, without consequences and without any kind of accountability policy, does not kill but grinds and, therefore, is sure to increase the confidence that citizens have in politics, which, from accountability, in Portugal already is quite low”, he concluded.
To Público, the ministry overseen by Fernando Medina confirmed the signing of Sérgio Figueiredostating that the former journalist will “provide consultancy services in the design, and monitoring of public policies, including a consultation of interested parties in Portuguese and the evaluation and political changes as well”.
Público also advances that Sérgio Figueiredo’s contract will have a duration of two years and the former journalist will “help to conceive and design policies as publics of Fernando Medina’s ministry, but also monitor their execution and perception, in real time, that they have as stakeholders”.
Born in 1966, Sérgio Figueiredo was once director of Diário Económico and Jornal de Negócios, having also worked for the television channel RTP2. Between 2007 and 2014 he was director of Fundação EDP and, between 2015 and 2020, he was information director of TVI.