The new Minister of the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU), Vinícius Marques de Carvalho, took office earlier this evening (3), in Brasília. In his speech, he emphasized the agency’s task of making the federal government more transparent and more collaborative in the fight against corruption. The secrecy imposed on government-related data was one of the central themes of his speech.
“Transparency is the rule and secrecy must always be the exception,” he said. The topic is timely, after all, one of Carvalho’s missions is to review the 100-year-old secrecy imposed by the previous government on various matters. This agenda should bring the spotlight to the CGU, a technical body that is generally discreet from a political point of view.
Among the sensitive matters targeted by this review are data from former President Jair Bolsonaro’s vaccination card, the expenses with his corporate card and the administrative process regarding the participation of General Eduardo Pazuello in a political event in Rio Janeiro.
review of secrecy
In one of his first acts as president, Lula signed an order determining the review, by the CGU, of Bolsonaro’s secrecy. The deadline to complete this task is 30 days.
Carvalho did not shy away from the topic. He spared no criticism of the previous government, which he accused of promoting “several setbacks”, among them, the “indiscriminate and undue use of secrecy to, supposedly, protect personal data or under the false pretext of protecting national security and the safety of the public”. President”.
He then indicated that the review determined by Lula should bring to light a series of confidential information.
“There is no democracy and sovereignty without a transparent State, open to dialogue, control and social participation”. The minister stated that, “as of today, the Law on Access to Information will once again be complied with”.
He also announced the creation of a Secretariat for Access to Information. It will have the task of judging, in the third instance, appeals related to compliance with the Access to Information Law. It will also issue guidelines and guidelines on the subject and will request, ex officio, processes to correct them, when necessary.
Servers
Carvalho also determined the review of a technical note published by the previous government, in 2020, which limits the manifestation of public servants critical of the body to which they belong. “There is no democracy in a state where civil servants are gagged,” he said.
The idea of the CGU minister is to consider such a limitation subject to disciplinary investigation for a possible affront to the constitutional right of free expression of thought.
