Evelyn Matthei, a presidential candidate in Chile, has proposed merging the Secretariat General of Government (Segegob) and the Secretariat General of the Presidency (Segpres) into the Ministry of the Interior. This follows discussions in Argentina regarding eliminating ministries.
While initially hesitant, suggesting budget cuts as a more immediate solution, Matthei's proposal now includes a longer-term strategy of ministry mergers. Her team clarifies that this is not a complete reversal of her initial position.
Matthei suggests appointing a single minister to oversee multiple departments, a practice used in previous Chilean administrations. She's also tasked former Economy and Public Works Minister Juan Andrés Fontaine with reviewing CORFO for potential cuts. This effort is led by a team comprising several former government officials.
The article highlights a key difference between Chile and Argentina; in Chile, significant changes like ministry closures require parliamentary approval, a process Matthei recognizes takes considerable time.