The Minister of Planning and Budget, Simone Tebet, assured that the government’s spending review will be carried out with “intelligence, rationality and social justice”, without compromising social programs. According to her, the filters applied to Bolsa Família have already resulted in savings of R$12 billion with the program.
She recalled that, on an emergency basis, registration for Bolsa Família was made easier during the pandemic, but that with the improvement of the situation, both from a health and economic point of view, many people were able to give up the benefit.
The minister explained that, since the pandemic, Brazil has grown almost 3% in the last year alone, and that the country currently has record employment rates and signed work contracts. “This means that many people who needed Bolsa Família no longer do,” she said on Thursday (18), on the program Good morning, Minister.produced by Brazilian Communications Company (EBC).
“We created a filter and managed to save, in quotes, R$12 billion [com o Bolsa Família]. It is not to save money, especially because part of it went to other public policies. Another part went to us to solve this problem of the fiscal deficit”, she added, guaranteeing that a large part of this money was destined to the replacement of public policies that had been abandoned during the previous government. She guaranteed that there is no possibility whatsoever of the government ending the Continuous Benefit Payment (BPC).
Simone Tebet reiterated that the government will continue to be very careful with the fiscal issue. “Brazil cannot spend more than it collects,” she stated. “But at the same time, it cannot spend less than necessary,” she added.
“We cannot forget that Brazil emerged from the pandemic very impoverished and that many public policies were abandoned. We had to replace many public policies in 2023. It was six years without updating them [o valor da] “Our children’s school meals. The Farmácia Popular program was completely dismantled. Minha Casa, Minha Vida went four years without a new contract for those who earn up to one and a half minimum wages,” he argued.
Challenge
In the minister’s assessment, the task of her department is a great challenge, amidst this entire context. “But we do this with great sensitivity, care and love, knowing that, behind these numbers, there are people suffering. There are children sleeping hungry. Therefore, what we need is balance”, she said.
“Objectively, we will have to cut spending. But we will cut spending on what is actually left over. Fraud, errors and irregularities are still a lot. Therefore, we have to make structural reforms to be able to have [recursos] for what you need most. Where do you need it most? I’m a teacher and I know. It’s in education and health,” she said.
Regarding the works of the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), Minister Simone Tebet said that they will be preserved, even if some temporary cuts, contingencies or blockages in works are necessary. “In this case, we will do it in those [obras] that have not been initiated. We will review every 2 months and may replace it in another way. But I repeat, there is no indication that the PAC, especially in the areas of education and health, will be cut,” he assured.
LDO
Regarding the Budget Guidelines Law (LDO), which directs the budget of public resources, the minister said that the expectation is that it will be voted on between August and September, “without any problems” and that, in the meantime, “we have another important mission, which is to prepare the Brazilian budget, to define where every cent of the public budget will go”. The deadline for submission to the National Congress is August 31.
“It’s a mathematical calculation that seems simple but it’s not. It’s an equation where revenue minus expenditure must equal zero. We have a commitment to the country not to spend more than we collect,” he said.
