Congresspeople related to agribusiness defended changes in the criteria for the choice of agricultural attachés – professionals actuating within Brazilian diplomacy to promote that industry in other countries. According to the decree published in May 2008 (6.464/08), only servants of the Ministry of Agriculture or employees of government companies or federal mixed corporations ceded to that ministry can be indicated to the position.

For Deputy Ronaldo Caiado (DEM-GO), the adoption of that requirement harms Brazilian interest. He defends the possibility that attachés be chosen by their resume, knowledge on the sector, and negotiation skills, no matter if they are civil servants or not. “We cannot create niches that would benefit only those who are career civil servants”, said Caiado.

For the deputy, that measure will not overlap the political aspect to the technical one in the choice of agricultural attachés. Caiado’s idea is that the chosen professionals should also be interviewed by the committees on Agriculture of the Chamber and of the Senate, by the Ministry of Agriculture and by other ministries.

Caiado reminds that the interview by the legislative Power has already been adopted for the choice of the presidents of Central Bank and of regulatory agencies. The government’s decree, though, does not provide for the analysis by the Chamber and by the Senate of the names chosen to occupy the position of agricultural attaché.

Deputy Carlos Melles (DEM-MG) also affirmed that the future agricultural attachés need to come from various functional origins, in addition to being interviewed by the Chamber and by the Senate. He highlighted, though, that the creation of the position is positive, since it is an old demand, which had been claimed for since 1995.

Caiado, on his turn, considered the number of forecast agricultural attachés (eight) as insufficient.
According to the decree, those attachés will be trained at Rio Branco Institute, of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, and will actuate in Buenos Aires, Brussels, Geneva, Moscow, Peking, Pretoria, Tokyo and Washington.
 

Report - Alexandre Pôrto/Rádio Câmara
Editing - Pierre Triboli
Translation - Positive Idiomas Ltda