Government recruits 1,000 new 'yes men' to help ministers do their work

Paul 10 May 2016

jobless The new Socialist Government is doing its best to ease unemployment in Portugal with the recruitment of 1,100 special advisors spread across various ministries.

Of the 17 departments that appear unable to function without recruiting outside help, Olhão born Finance Minister Mário Centeno topped the list with 111 new posts at his ministry at a cost to the taxpayer of €258,000 a month.

All In all, these new ‘boys’ cost the taxpayer €2.5 million per month with Prime Minister António Costa surrounded himself with 84 advisors with salaries varying between €1,990 and €4,788 per month, or around €218,000 per month in total.

In third place is the Ministry of the Economy led by Manuel Caldeira Cabral with 77 special contracts for so called 'boys' that cost more than €200,000 a month in total.

Next is the Ministry of the Sea and all things Maritime which is getting by with just 29 new nominees.

The government website admits to 823 special posts, but the official State Gazette led slip the real figure of 1,011 special posts all of whom are programmed to nod and say 'yes'.

Comments

+1 #5 algarveandroid 2016-05-13 13:01

perhaps a concerted effort by the media to request the acutal qualifications of those advisors would be on the cards.

+1 #4 Lion 2016-05-11 17:19

Businesses continually have to strive to reduce costs in order to survive. The same ethos should be applied to government, after all, that is how it should be run.

+1 #3 Mutley 2016-05-11 09:52

"The new Socialist Government is doing its best to ease unemployment"

Amazing how many top notch advisers were unemployed. It is more likely a fake job on the side for some extra spending money. I can't imagine each getting an office or sitting together in a sweatshop giving advice.They probably get compensation for using their own office. Any cooperation between them will be time consuming and... well forget it, Just give me some advice on laundromats.

+2 #2 Peter Booker 2016-05-11 08:04

Expensive, yes. Necessary, perhaps not. I do not understand why governments have to hire from outside the civil service. Government is pressed by the Troika to reduce the numbers and costs of state employees, and it is complying. And then it takes on hundreds more, probably all on temporary contracts. I see no sense in it, nor any cost saving.

It is the same in Britain, except for the difference that government hires extremely expensive consultants, usually accountants, and hides or lies about the costs.

+2 #1 Steve.O 2016-05-11 07:16

Stunning waste of millions as none ever get fired. This mirrors how each municipal and regional Government wage bills have mushroomed in Portugal. Deep within the national Government payroll will be the 'boys' hired by the earliest post-Salazar politicians - or, as they also no doubt needed friends and family on board - the earliest of the "boys boys".

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