The Senate Plenary approved on Tuesday (24), in a secret voting, the indication of the economist Mario Gomes Torós to the Brazilian Central Bank board (BCB) and of the public health officer José Agenor Álvares da Silva to director of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).

Torós was indicated by a presidential message to replace Rodrigo Telles da Rocha Azevedo, current Monetary Policy director. Torós, who graduated in Economics by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), worked 15 years for Santander Bank, in São Paulo and London. Until July 2006, he was the bank’s vice president, coordinating Treasury and Markets sectors.

The public health officer José Agenor Álvares da Silva was Health minister during president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva first term. Before holding this position he had already occupied the post of executive secretary of Health Ministry, and later, by public examination, he entered the Secretary for National Health Surveillance. He graduated in Pharmacy and has a post-graduation in Public Administration.

During the Central Bank director’s indication voting, senator Aloizio Mercadante (PT-SP) observed Mario Torós’ great experience with markets will be vital in the period of “exchange rate appreciation” we are going through. He believes the scenario is favorable to the reversion of this process and expects Torós to contribute to the reduction of the basic interest rate (Selic), currently fixed in12.5% a year.

In his turn, César Borges (DEM-BA) protested over government’s frequent indication of technicians from the financial market to the Brazilian Central Bank. Borges pointed out the national interests often do not match market’s, and said current interest rate in Brazil damages exporters and prevent the country from growing.