Between planning Foz do Iguaçu for the coming years, as promised, and acting to respond to specific problems, such as health, the main one, Joaquim Silva and Luna (PL) will take office as mayor on January 1st. In an interview during Marco Zero, a program on H2FOZ and Rádio Clube FM 100,9, the future manager updated the work of the transition team, listed priorities and spoke about the relationship he intends to maintain with the City Council.
Watch the interview:
As he said, the transition emphasizes the analysis of contracts and the structure of each department, as well as doing the math to measure the city's financial conditions, the cash flow. He argues that he has used technical criteria to appoint secretaries and people to the main management positions – ten names have been appointed so far. And that he intends to reduce the number of departments from 19 to 16.
According to Silva and Luna, the coalition of council members that elected him mayor should be the president of the House of Representatives. He intends to establish a dialogue with the Chamber, and stated that his administration will have its doors open to all parliamentarians, including those who were not part of his political team during the campaign. He revealed that he has already been talking to council members from other parties.
He stated categorically that no council member will occupy the position: “There is zero chance, because society chose them [councilors] to represent it as council members,” he stressed. In the interview, Silva e Luna once again highlighted technology and innovation in his administration as cross-cutting elements, as he believes they can facilitate the population’s access to public services. He also denied that there was political pressure to choose the name for the Education Department.
Health and Municipal Hospital
The elected mayor believes that the priority responses at the beginning of his administration should be in health. He sees the process of federalizing the Municipal Hospital, announced but not completed by the government of Chico Brasileiro (PSD), as a distant one. Silva Luna stated that the Government of Paraná, through the Health Department, is willing to build a facility for the city or an emergency care unit.
As a matter of urgency, Silva e Luna intends to eliminate the waiting lists for consultations and surgeries. “Our priority will be exactly that, health. We want to eliminate these waiting lists as soon as possible,” he stressed. He added that the future Health Secretary, Fábio de Melo, is making negotiations that include improvements that will need to be made to the Municipal Hospital during his administration.
Employment, investment and planning
Silva e Luna emphasized that he will seek to generate jobs and attract investments, offering trust, credibility and security. And that he will put the government structure in place to prepare Foz do Iguaçu for the coming years, highlighting some of the city's potential: a border that connects one million inhabitants, multiethnic and with high levels in sectors such as education and economy, he mentioned.
“Foz do Iguaçu is a place to invest, visit and discover its wonders,” he stressed. “Trust us, because we will do our best for each one of you. Don’t forget to contact us, we will have an open channel and full transparency on everything. Send us suggestions, participate in the government,” invited Silva and Luna.
