Peru Fin Min: Corruption affects economic growth, outrageous it still exists

"An important variable of our low institutionalism is corruption, which affects economic growth and is the main concern of Peruvians, regardless of where they reside," Alva expressed.

"As Peruvians, we experience this "social poison" first-hand every day because we see the paralyzed works, and much of the inefficiency (existing) in public institutions is due to corruption," she added.

During her presentation at the Annual Conference of Executives (CADE-Executives 2019), the 34-year-old cabinet member commented on the two reasons why she accepted the challenge of becoming minister.

"The first one is a family fact; there are many public officials in my family. For me, being a public official is a natural route to build a better Peru. My grandfather was a professor at San Marcos University (UNI), my father is a professor at UNI, my grandmother and several women in my family are public school teachers," Alva stated.

"There is also a fact about Peru's political life that had an impact on my conviction of becoming a public official," the high-ranking official said.

The minister recalled that —once at age 15— she turned on the TV and saw how former National Intelligence Service Chief Vladimiro Montesinos used to bribe public officials and even TV stars.

Alva said she was still a teenager when those facts occurred. However, the young woman realized that "something was very rotten" in the country.

"It is outrageous to me that 20 years later, I continue to see that corruption still exists in Peru. Corruption is embedded in the system and involves former presidents, high-ranking public officials, politicians, as well as business people. It is clear we must do something, and that something involves all of us," the minister emphasized.

"Thus, I call upon all of you to join the fight against corruption," she concluded.