Senator Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) harshly criticized the minimum wage adjustment policy implemented by the Lula government, classifying it as harmful to public accounts.
In an interview with CNN this Monday (6), Marinho argued that the recent increase in the minimum wage does not represent a real gain for Brazilian workers.
“Government gives with one hand and takes away with both,” said the senator.
According to Marinho, the adjustment “puts pressure on the BPC (Continuous Payment Benefit) pension” and does not reflect an increase in productivity.
Marinho asked: “Ask those who receive the minimum wage if it is better or worse than in 2022. How is your purchasing power with this policy that the federal government has instituted?”
Criticisms of the economic package
Marinho also expressed skepticism regarding the economic package presented by the government to Congress.
He stated that the package is ineffective and revealed that he had proposed amendments that, according to him, could generate savings of 135 billion reais in the subsequent year, but were ignored by the government.
“The government does everything wrong, so it loses credibility and loses the legitimacy to hold the debate seriously,” declared Marinho.
He also criticized the provisional measure that granted an 18 billion reais increase to public servants and commissioned positions, considering it inadequate given the country’s economic situation.
Impact on the economy
The senator warned of the possible negative effects of these policies on the Brazilian economy.
“We are losing the ability to have a strong currency, to invest in the economy through growth in future interest rates. It is a negative, populist and irresponsible spiral”, he stated.
Marinho defended that salary increases must be linked to productivity gains, arguing that, otherwise, they generate a “maladjustment in the economy”.
He concluded by highlighting that current policies are leading to economic deterioration, contradicting expectations of an improvement in the population’s purchasing power.
