Having been invited to take on the role by President Dilma a few weeks back, Brazil´s ex-Reserve Bank president Henrique Meirelles has officially accepted the position of head of the Olympic Public Authority, a body set up specifically to coordinate government activities and works in preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The agency will have a budget of up to R$30 billion and will employ around 170 people.
Meirelles, an economist by trade, stated that his priority will be to scrutinize the technical qualifications of those employed by the Authority primarily because the schedules for the works are relentless. He also stipulated that, using the experience gained during eight years at the central bank, he will not bow to any political pressure in relation to key positions in the body.
Meirelles will now be interviewed by four senate commissions: the Infrastructure Service, Education, Culture and Sport, Economic Matters and Constitution, Justice and Citizenship, and should be officially approved within the coming weeks.