Álvaro_Santos_Pereira
Álvaro Santos Pereira
Portuguese economist, professor and writer
Álvaro Santos Pereira (Viseu, 7 January 1972) is a Portuguese economist, professor and writer. He was the Minister of Economy, Labour, Transport, Public Works and Communications of Portugal between June 2011 and July 2013 in the XIX Constitutional Government of Portugal.
Mr. Álvaro Santos Pereira did not complete his mandate as Minister and instead was reshuffled.
His tenure as Minister became known due to his initial aggressive stance against the energy lobby - led by EDP - Electricidade de Portugal - and conciliatory settlement in the end.
The negotiations regarding excessive rents led by Mr. Álvaro Santos Pereira, resulted in EDP receiving less €30 million p.a. It now appears that excessive rents being charged by EDP could have amounted to €2 billion.
Moreover, Mr. Álvaro Santos Pereira, when in office, prohibited his Secretary of State, Mr. Henrique Gomes, of presenting independent analysis on excessive rents and discussing this in public so as not to impact the valuation of EDP and that e success of the last phase of its privatisation. As a result, Secretary of State Mr. Henrique Gomes resigned as per his declaration at a public hearing on excessive rents and potential collusion between the Ministry of Economy and EDP in the parliament.