The Minister of Development and Social Inclusion (MIDIS), Lesly Shica, He reported that in recent weeks he has received threats, pressure and messages sent “by third parties” with the aim of limiting his public appearances.
“They want to undermine me, they want to scare me by questioning my age. And yes, I am 32 years old, I have more than ten years of structured public management,” he declared in Cuarto Poder, and then denied that he was part of any political party.
As he explained, these warnings appeared after the adjustments he has been promoting in the School Feeding Program (PAE), an initiative created in August for students in public schools and early education programs throughout the country. “They tell me to stop talking to so many people, to lower my exposure, to stop smiling,” he said.
Shica assured that his management is implementing a comprehensive change in the sector’s public procurement system, which would have caused discomfort among suppliers and actors accustomed to the previous model.
“As soon as we arrived at MIDIS we received a quick proposal, almost ready for signature, because March is close and the supply was in danger. But this management does not accept more of the same,” he said.
“Then comes the pressure, the status quosuggestions, threats. I tell the parents that Lesly Shica does not give up,” he said.
The minister explained that the new padlocks applied seek to open the market and allow the entry of suppliers with better quality products for schoolchildren. “We want brands capable of giving dignity. No more ad hoc companies for school feeding. I constitute an uncomfortable element (…) I know what I am facing, the vetoes and the vetoing governments,” he added.
He also assured that he has coordinated with the contracting supervisory body, the Comptroller’s Office and the Public Ministry to guarantee transparency in the process.
SUPERVISE BREAKFAST
From Cusco, the Minister of Development and Social Inclusion, Lesly Shica, announced the start of the lightning operation “We all eat the same thing”which from today, Monday, November 17, will simultaneously supervise schools throughout the country to guarantee that school breakfasts are healthy, decent and of quality.
The objective is to verify on site the timely delivery of food for more than 4 million students and ensuring that all children receive products in the same conditions, without differences between regions or suppliers.
The minister arrived this morning in Cusco along with a team from the Comptroller General of the Republic to carry out joint control, inspection and supervision actions. In parallel, the executive director of the School Feeding Program (PAE), Saby Mauricio, traveled to Puno accompanied by the comptroller general to closely monitor the quality of the supplies received by schoolchildren in that region.
Shica recalled that, since he assumed the portfolio, he summoned the Attorney General’s Office, the Comptroller’s Office, the National Society of Industries, Peru Compras and the OECE in order to make purchases transparent and reinforce the supervision of the food program in more than 62 thousand schools in the country.
The minister pointed out that these interventions seek to ensure clearer purchasing processes and avoid irregularities that have dragged on for years. “I decided to prioritize the food safety of schoolchildren, meeting with the main authorities in charge of supervision and inspection,” he stated. He also recalled that the first operation was carried out in Lima on October 31 and included the participation of President José Jerí and the entire cabinet, who very early inspected the food and the preparation of school breakfasts in various schools in Lima and Callao.
