By Rogerio Jelmayer
SÃO PAULO--Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff named seven new
members to her cabinet as part of a continuing shake-up of the
administration, which begins a second term Jan. 1.
Among the ministers named by Ms. Rousseff is Ricardo Berzoini,
set to be the new communication minister, succeeding Paulo
Bernardo. Ms. Berzoini is currently a member of Ms. Rousseff's
cabinet as minister of institutional relations, a post set to be
assumed by Pepe Vargas.
Mr. Berzoini will assume his new job amid expectations for a
major consolidation in Brazil's telecommunications industry.
The sector is going through its largest upheaval since
privatization of the government-run telephone system in 1998. The
main operators, including Oi SA, Spain's Telefonica SA, Telecom
Italia's TIM Participacoes unit and Mexico's America Movil SAB, are
studying options to buy, sell or merge assets.
Oi said in August that it is considering acquisition
possibilities in Brazil, including the potential purchase of TIM
Participacoes, and that it hired Brazilian investment bank BTG
Pactual to explore opportunities. Oi has a large share of Brazil's
fixed-line market, but has fallen behind its rivals in the mobile
race and has been trying to make up ground while cutting its heavy
debt load.
The incoming ministers will assume their posts on Jan. 1, which
will mark the inauguration of Ms. Rousseff's second four-year
term.
So far, Ms. Rousseff has named 24 new ministers out of 39
cabinet posts.
Ms. Rousseff has also named, among others, Carlos Gabas as
social pension minister and Antonio Carlos Rodrigues, as transports
minister, succeeding Garibaldi Alves and Paulo Sergio Passos,
respectively.
Write to Rogerio Jelmayer at rogerio.jelmayer@wsj.com