Peru’s Kuczynski to name economic consultant as mines minister

By Mitra Taj

LIMA (Reuters) – Peru’s President-elect Pedro Pablo Kuczynski will appoint Gonzalo Tamayo, a leading economist for local consulting firm Macroconsult, as his energy and mines ministry in his first cabinet, a source said on Tuesday.

Tamayo will be tasked with overseeing major policy decisions on mining as investments in the country’s key sector have tumbled on weak commodity prices and local protests derailed two major projects in recent years.

He will also inherit a $5 billion natural gas pipeline project snagged on financing problems and a crisis at state-owned energy company Petroperu after oil spills shut the country’s only pipeline for transporting crude.

Kuczynski has also chosen Elsa Galarza, an economist and the head of the research unit at Lima’s University of the Pacific, as his environment minister, the source and another source who also spoke on condition of anonymity said.

Kuczynski, a 77-year-old former investment banker who will take office on July 28, plans to announce his full cabinet on Friday. His office did not respond to requests for comment.

Tamayo is the general manager of Macroconsult and specializes in analyzing infrastructure projects, regulations and competitiveness, according to the company’s website. He has also served on the boards of telecommunications regulator Osiptel and state-owned electricity company Electroperu.

Tamayo and Galarza, who was a deputy fisheries minister during the government of ex-president Alan Garcia, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Peru is expected to become the world’s second biggest copper supplier this year and is also a major producer of zinc, gold, silver and tin.

(Reporting by Mitra Taj; Editing by Sandra Maler and Bill Rigby)