QCOSTARICA – Wear on his relationship with different political sectors and the media prompted Carlos Segnini to quit his job as Minister of Public Works and Transport (MOPT)
In announcing his resignation, effective February 1, 2016, Segnini highlighted the achievements made by his ministry, and satisfactory progress especially in the areas of “pre-investment”.
“People want to see machinery but it is a mistake to start work without having everything ready. So the projects are delayed and become more expensive,” Segnini said.
During his time (in office since May 2014), the MOPT was unable to advance with projects such as the north portion of Circunvalacion (the uncompleted ring road around San Jose), the contract for the extension of Route 32 (San Jose – Limon) that is still in the Comptroller General’s Office, the construction of the new building for the MOPT after a series of errors and the announced (Nov. 2014) closure of the CONAVI, the roads council which has been heavily criticized for being ineffective.
Over the years, legislators and opposition parties have continually criticized the inefficiency of the MOPT. Recently, Marta Acosta, the Comptroller General said the MOPT is incompetent, something unchanged under Segnini.
Even MOPT employees have sent manifestos to the Media, as recent as in the days leading up to the Segnini resignation, that the minister himself is the saboteur in the administration.
Segnini, the eight minister to leave the Luis Guillermo Solis administration, dodged questions from reporters in the Wednesday afternoon press conference.
