UPDATE 1-Peru’s finance minister may step down
July 1st, 2008 | by admin |(Recasts, adds quotes from president)
LIMA, July 1 (Reuters) - Peru’s Finance Minister LuisCarranza has expressed his desire to resign, President AlanGarcia told reporters on Tuesday, adding that it is up toCarranza to decide whether he stays or quits,
Garcia, who praised the work of Carranza, said a finaldecision had not yet been made.
“In the end, I’ll put it in his hands to decide … It’snot something that the prime minister nor I have asked for,”Garcia said.
Prior to Garcia’s comments, three cabinet aides had saidCarranza has talked of leaving after nearly two years inoffice, apparently to return to the private sector.
Carranza, who has won widespread praise from investors, hasoverseen surging annual growth of 9 percent, liberalized traderules and helped keep inflation at around 4 percent a year.
Peruvian ministers typically submit their resignationstwice a year to give the president a chance to reshuffle hiscabinet.
Garcia did not mention a possible replacement for Carranza,but local media reports have said it could be Luis Valdivieso,who works for the International Monetary Fund. (Reporting by Maria Luisa Palomino, Marco Aquino, Terry Wade,and writing by Terry Wade; Editing by Dan Grebler)
