‘Super Minister’ for Chile

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33816, 12 April 1975, Page 15

‘Super Minister’ for Chile

(New Zealand Press Association —Copyright) SANTIAGO (Chile), April 12. President Pinochet of Chile plans to name a “super Minister” to deal with the country’s record-setting inflation.

Chile has led the world in inflation rates for the last two years — 508 per cent in 1973, 370 per cent in 1974 — and so far has a soaring

rate of nearly 61 per cent for just the first three months of this year.

The entire 16-member Cabinet resigned abruptly on Wednesday night in order to give General Pinochet a free hand to restructure the junta’s programmes to cure the nation’s economic ills.

Local press reports specu- 1 ! fated yesterday that the; junta, which seized power! on September 11, 1973, i toppling the Leftist Govern- ' ment of the late Marxist i President, Salvador Allende. will take tough meas- - ures and even bring more I civilians into the largely uniformed Cabinet. Only three civilians were in the Cabinet that resigned. ; “Among the solutions ap- ; proved by the Chief Execu- ] jtive is the granting to one , of the Secretaries-of-State in ; (the economic field increased ] responsibility,” said Mr Fed- ’ (erico Willoughby the junta .press spokesman. Unofficial sources said the ' [post has been offered to a! civilian who has been;, serving as a Government ■ Minister and is one of the most important collaborators'; on the economy. It might be Mr Raul Saez, aged 62, one of Chile’s best-known econo- : mists and Minister of Econlomic Planning in the outgoing Cabinet. General Pinochet has i asked all the Ministers to, stay on the job until the I new Cabinet is selected. (