Tiago Martins Oliveira has been appointed by the Prime Minister to manage the government’s new, improved Integrated System of Rural Fire Management - he starts work on Tuesday after he is formally welcomed, mid-morning.
Oliveira is a 48-year-old from Oporto and gained a doctorate in 2017 in forestry and natural resources from the University of Lisbon. He graduated in Forestry Engineering (1994) and completed a Master's Degree in Natural Resource Management at the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (1998).
In addition to experience as a lecturer, Tiago Martins Oliveira worked for the pulp business, Portucel Soporcel, which at least gives him an insight into the economics of the forestry industry although environmental groups will be on the look-out for any industry bias as he still works for this pulp and paper company, renamed 'Navigator.'
Martins was Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries in 2005 to 2006 in the first José Sócrates government. His latest post is a new one, devised at an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers on Saturday 21st October.
The job holder reports directly to the prime minister and the task is to support him "in the preparation and implementation of the recommendations contained in the Report of the Independent Technical Commission and other technical contributions."
Tiago Martins Oliveira also has to get the new Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fire (AGIF), up and running by January 1, 2018.
The job is equivalent in status to a Secretary of State and can have up to five support staff.
