Minister of Finance did not specify which portfolio was mentioned, but stated that negotiations should be concluded by Wednesday (13)
Finance Minister Fernando Haddad stated that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva requested this Monday (11) the inclusion of a new ministry in conversations about reducing public spending before the announcement. The private meeting between and today was not on the agenda of either the president or the minister and lasted about an hour. Haddad did not specify which ministry was mentioned, but said that meetings with social ministers have already been completed and that negotiations should be concluded by Wednesday (13).
“The president asked for an effort to include a ministry in this effort, a negotiation that should be completed by Wednesday. I’m not going to say anything because I don’t know if the ministry will have enough time to incorporate his request, but I believe there will be good will for us to incorporate an additional measure”, he declared after the meeting.
The minister said that the deadline for the announcement is Lula’s and guaranteed that the proposal is good for workers. “We are very confident about what we are doing. It is for the good of workers, to control inflation. Maintaining economic activity is part of our work, it is a balance between important variables for all Brazilians. It’s about maintaining the sustainability of the Brazilian economy”, he revealed.
Haddad emphasized that there was no dehydration in the proposals presented and reiterated that the government’s focus is to guarantee economic growth while controlling inflation. The minister also said that he plans to discuss with Lula this Tuesday (12) how to present the measures to the presidents of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), and the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG).
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Conversations about new measures, which seek to ensure the sustainability of the fiscal framework and public debt, gained momentum after the municipal elections. Among the proposals under analysis are adjustments to unemployment insurance and salary bonuses, which have shown a considerable increase in recent times.
Some ministers, such as Luiz Marinho (from Labor), expressed resistance to changes in salary bonuses and unemployment insurance. Suggestions under discussion include limiting the number of unemployment insurance installments and reducing the eligibility criteria for the salary bonus, which has generated heated debates.
There is still no consensus on possible changes to the health and education floors, which are currently linked to revenues. The idea of restricting the growth of these expenses was debated, but Lula was reluctant regarding some proposals, especially with regard to the de-indexation of social security benefits in relation to the minimum wage.
Before formalizing the new measures, the government plans to present them to the presidents of the Senate and Chamber. The objective is to approve a Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) and a bill that aim to contain the increase in public expenses.
*Report produced with the help of AI
Published by Carol Santos
