Minister also criticizes the withdrawal of clauses from the Emergency PEC and reiterates the importance of the ‘more frequent interaction’ between the economic team and parliamentarians
In a message to Congress, the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes, appealed this Monday, 30, so that the “agreements and political choices” fit within the budget and respect the rules of fiscal responsibility. “This is my request now for these political understandings to fit into the public budget so that we can fulfill this double commitment to the health of Brazilians and to budgetary responsibilities.” The statement was made during the presentation of the economic team on the creation of 401 thousand formal jobs in February, the best record of the month in 29 years.
The minister also stressed the importance of “more frequent interaction” with parliamentarians and said that Brazil currently lives on a “fierce tail” of new coronavirus pandemic. “We have room to act, whether directly for Covid, whether directly for health or to mitigate the social impacts brought about by the pandemic.” Guedes also showed dissatisfaction with the dehydration of the Proposed Emergency Constitution Amendment (PEC), which opened space in public accounts for the reissue of the emergency aid with a value of R $ 44 billion. According to the minister, the text sent to the government detailed protocols to combat future pandemics from the beginning of 2022 with greater flexibility in spending. “We had this clause in the PEC, making room for these exceptional, limited and defined expenses,” stated the minister.
Guedes also spoke again about the reissue of measures for the preservation of jobs. The minister affirmed again that the Emergency Program for Maintenance of Employment and Income (BEm), which allowed in 2020 the suspension of work contracts and reduction of workload and wages, will be transformed into a job insurance with the distribution of R $ 500 for each worker for 11 months. The National Support Program for Microenterprises. (Pronampe) should also have a new version in 2021. Despite the promises, the economic team says that there is still no forecast for the return of the measures.
