The continuity of the Pé-De Pé-de Step program, which pays $ 2,000 per high school student, depends on the government to adjust the budget in 2025, said the Minister of the Court of Auditors on Monday (10) Union (TCU), Augusto Nardes. He received on Monday the Ministers of Finance, Fernando Haddad, and Education, Camilo Santana, to discuss the blockade of almost half of the program’s resources for this year.
“We are looking for a dialogue, the conversation is critical to finding paths. It is an important program for the country. The court is not against the program, what we want is to be adjusted via budget. So, in this first conversation, this was established as a central point, ”said Nardes. The minister added that he is listening to government and congress representatives to overcome the impasse and keep the foot.
Rapporteur of a lawsuit that calls for the inclusion of the Budgeting Foot of 2025, Nardes blocked, on January 19, R $ 6 billion of the R $ 13 billion foreseen for the program this year. Three days later, the TCU Plenary upheld the decision. The Attorney General of the Union (AGU) appealed, and the TCU can analyze the appeal this week.
The legislation that created the Step Foot states that the program be funded through the High School Permanence Incentive Fund (FIPEM), managed by Caixa Econômica Federal. The fund can be supplied with both the current year budget funds and through the Operations Guarantee Fund (FGO) and the Educational Credit Operations Fund (FGEDUC).
Nardes accepted the action of Deputy Attorney General Lucas Rocha Furtado, the Public Prosecution Service with the TCU (MPTCU), who claimed that the amounts used for the program’s credit were out of the budget because, when they did not go through the single account of the National Treasury, the resources Funds circumvent the tax frames limit, which restricts the growth of spending to 70% of the actual growth (above inflation) of revenue in the previous year. The TCU technical area kept the alert.
Upon returning from the meeting late in the morning, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said he had taken a series of considerations to Nardes and advocated the legality of the footing system. “We are seeking to meet the technical area of the Court, but at the same time ensure the continuity of the program that today serves 4 million students. We have taken a number of considerations to him, he will sue internally and give us the devolutive timely, ”said Haddad.
The government advocates the inclusion of the Budget Foot of 2026. The TCU, however, either the inclusion already in this year’s budget, which has not yet been voted by Congress. According to Nardes, the TCU is negotiating a form of “modular” the decision, listening to all ministries and Congress.
In addition to Haddad and Santana, the TCU minister will meet with the new presidents of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta, and Senate, David Alcolumbre. He also intends to talk to parliamentarians of the situation and the opposition.
