This week, the Federal Senate should analyze the complementary bill (PLP) that creates rules for the execution of parliamentary amendments. According to the government leader in Congress, Randolfe Rodrigues (PT-AP), the text will be on the agenda on Tuesday (12).
Approved by the Chamber of Deputies last week, . Approval of the text is necessary to unlock the execution of pending appeals, suspended by the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
In the Chamber, the text’s rapporteur was deputy Elmar Nascimento (União-BA), who made changes to the original text, prepared by the government’s deputy leader, Rubens Pereira Jr. (PT-MA).
The preparation of the proposal involved negotiations between Congress, the Civil House, the Attorney General’s Office (AGU) and the STF.
Blocking x contingency
Rubens’ version predicted that the government could block and contingency the execution of amendments to meet the fiscal target. However, Elmar changed the proposal and removed the term “blockade” from the text, leaving only the possibility of contingency.
In practice, the government blocks non-mandatory spending (such as parliamentary committee amendments) when there is greater growth than expected in mandatory spending. In these cases, the economic team can choose which areas will be affected by the cuts.
Contingency occurs when the government is unable to raise the expected amount of resources for public coffers. In these cases, the government freezes spending until revenue yields favorable results.
Elmar’s text authorizes contingency up to the same proportion applied to other non-mandatory government expenses. In the Senate, congressmen from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) base want to return to the original text.
“There is a preference for us to restore the original term that was in the project, which is the term ‘blocking’ instead of ‘contingency’”, stated Randolfe last Thursday (7).
According to the senator, changing the term “is important, above all, for the economic team, because, with this, it is possible to make adjustments to the budget and have budgetary margin”. “And, in fact, this is consistent with the rest of the Budget.”
Bench amendments
The text approved in the Chamber proposes that the bench amendments, indicated by congressmen representing the same states, should allocate resources for structuring investment projects and for priority public actions and equipment, in 21 areas, such as education, housing, health, transportation and human rights.
Furthermore, according to Elmar’s opinion, each state bench will be able to present and approve eight amendments. These resources cannot be individualized, that is, the deliberation on the destination of the resources must be defined collectively by the bench and recorded in the minutes.
Commission amendments
Commission amendments are indicated by the permanent bodies of the Chamber, the Senate and the National Congress. According to Elmar’s opinion, these resources must have an identified object.
Furthermore, at least 50% of these amendments must be sent to public health actions and services.
Each commission will receive proposals for indicating resources from party leaders. The board will have up to 15 days to approve the indication of amendments.
Individual amendments
Individual amendments are those indicated by each congressman. According to the opinion under analysis, the author must inform the object and value of the transfer, giving priority to unfinished works.
The state or city hall that receives the resource must indicate, through the transferegov.br website, the bank branch and current account into which the resources will be deposited.
In the case of special transfer amendments, known as Pix amendments, the benefiting state or municipality must communicate, within 30 days, the value of the resource received and the work plan and schedule for implementing the funds.
The information must be passed on to the Legislative Branch, the Federal Audit Court and the state or municipal audit courts.
Furthermore, the priority in paying Pix amendments will be for regions in a calamity or emergency situation.
Suspension of amendments
Changes to the rules for parliamentary amendments have been negotiated since August, when a meeting with representatives of the Three Powers resulted in an agreement to provide greater transparency for transfers. The meeting was held after Minister Flávio Dino, from the STF, suspended payment of resources until traceability criteria were met.
Approval of the amendments project is necessary to unlock the payment of pending amendments, suspended by Dino until transparency criteria were adopted. It is also important for the advancement of next year’s Budget negotiations.
