In the first session chaired by David Alcolumbre, the Senate approved on Wednesday (19) a bill that releases up to $ 4.6 billion parliamentary amendments blocked in December by the Supreme Court (STF). Approved by 65 favorable votes and one contrary, the text goes to the House of Representatives.
Reported by Senator Carlos Portinho (PL-RJ), the bill was presented by the Government leader in Congress, Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (PT-AP). The text deals with the release of remains to be paid to non-processed, funds from previous years (authorized) but not liquidated, without verifying whether the service was performed.
According to the justification of the project, the release should accelerate the completion of unfinished works by the end of 2026, with remains to be paid since 2019. Currently, the National Treasury blocks the rest to pay if the settlement does not occur until June 30 of the second year following the registration, with the possibility of cancellation if the appeal is not unlocked.
According to Portinho’s opinion, the release will occur for projects with bidding already started. The remains to be paid must be revalidated according to the rules of the Fiscal Responsibility Law and the Complementary Law on Parliamentary Amendments approved last year. The release will be prohibited only for works and services under investigation or with evidence of irregularities.
Spending will also enter the tax framebeing subject to the expense growth ceiling of 70% of actual growth (above inflation) of revenue in the previous year, within a limit of 0.6% to 2.5% rise.
Approval occurs at a time of tensions between Congress and the Federal Supreme Court (STF) around transparency in the execution of parliamentary amendments. If the project is approved by the congress and sanctioned by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, reminiscent funds of the secret budget, blocked since the end of 2022, and commission amendments, blocked at the end of last year, can be released.
