According to a source close to the Planalto presidential palace, Communications Minister Miro Teixeira?s recent criticisms of Anatel were excessive and could complicate the Government?s relations with the telecommunications industry. The way in which the minister set up a new telecoms department and threatened not to let the fixed-line telephone carriers pass along annual inflation to tariffs (as they?re contractually entitled to do) are also seen as unfortunately clumsy in some circles, adds the source. On this view Mr Teixeira has stirred up resentment not just in the telecoms industry but also among Workers Party (PT) congressmen and officials regarded as experts on telecoms. In support of the source, it should be said that all the reports on telecoms by banks and equity analysts TELETIME News has received this week are critical of Mr Teixeira?s positions, including the broad powers given to the ministry?s new telecoms department.
Discomfort
PT officials and congressmen are even less happy with the way things are going than banks and analysts. ?Miro Teixeira?s behavior is causing all of us discomfort,? says a party official, noting that some specific criticisms of Anatel may well be appropriate but the minister generalized excessively. A PT member of Congress says Mr Teixeira may soon be called to account for what he and fellow PT congressmen see as a regrettable gap between their respective positions. The concern is that he may be paying too much attention to the views of Fittel, the interstate federation of workers in telecommunications companies, says the source close to the Planalto palace. ?Anatel doesn?t do enough inspection and enforcement for lack of legislation guaranteeing job tenure for its staff,? argues the source. ?It makes no sense at all to set up a telecoms department at the ministry if that means poaching the best people from the regulator.? However, given that the minister?s decision to set up a telecoms department had the prior approval of Presidential Chief of Staff José Dirceu and Planning Minister Guido Mantega, there?s clearly no consensus in the PT on Mr Teixeira?s positions.
