Milei's first measure as president of Argentina: reduce ministries by half

A few hours after being sworn in as president of Argentina, Javier Milei signed his first Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) focused on reducing the country's government structure.

This Sunday, Milei fulfilled one of his campaign promises by signing a new cabinet configuration that reduces the number of ministries from 18 to 9, lowers public spending, and improves government efficiency.

"It is necessary to adapt the provisions of the Law of Ministries and the objectives set, with the purpose of rationalizing and making the actions of the National State more efficient," indicates the new decree.

The ministry portfolio is now comprised of Interior, Foreign Relations, Defense, Economy, Justice, Security and Health. These are added to the recently created Ministry of Human Capital and Infrastructure.

One of the most notable developments is the establishment of Human Capital, a ministry that will absorb responsibilities in areas such as education, culture, work and social development, thus consolidating a comprehensive approach to social and human policies.

Likewise, the Ministry of Infrastructure was created to consolidate the areas of Public Works, Transportation, Energy, Mining and Telecommunications.

The decree also establishes that the Ministry of Economy will now manage productive development, foreign trade and tourism policies.

The powers of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, as well as that of Sports, will now be under the Ministry of the Interior. The Chief of Staff will absorb the now-defunct Ministry of Science and Technology.

It should be noted that although the ministerial reorganization process involves significant changes, the decree ensures that budget credits, organizational units, assets and personnel will be transferred to the new structures. This suggests there will not be a significant reduction in personnel or budget items in the short term.

Within the framework of these reforms, it is also mentioned that the Secretaries of State will undergo significant changes. Strategic Affairs will report directly to the Chief of Staff. Meanwhile, the Secretariats of Legal and Technical, Communication and Press, and the General Presidency will acquire the rank and hierarchy of ministry.