The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva published this Wednesday (5) a provisional measure what tightens rules for granting defense insurancepaid to artisanal fishermen, in addition to establishing a ceiling for annual spending on the program.
The text brings changes similar to the adjustments previously proposed in MP 1303, which lost its validity without being voted on by the National Congress.
According to the MP, expenditure on defense insurance will be limited to R$7.325 billion in 2025. In subsequent years, the rule provides that the ceiling will correspond to this same value, adjusted for inflation.
The measure also defines crossings of official databases to determine the requirements for granting benefits, also providing for the requirement for biometric registration of beneficiaries.
To qualify for the benefit, the fisherman will still have to present tax documents proving the sale of fish in a period of at least six months before the start of the closed season, when fishing is limited.
The text also transfers the management of the program to the Ministry of Labor and Employment, previously the responsibility of the INSS.
In an interview with journalists this Wednesday, the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, stated that it is necessary to improve registrations and that the Ministry of Labor has recognized competence in this area, adding that the measure has a fiscal effect.
“We are bringing the rules for the evolution of this expense into the fiscal framework and we understand that the available resources are more than enough to serve absolutely all of the program’s beneficiaries,” he said.
