the senator Marcelo Castro (MDB-PI), rapporteur for the 2023 Budget, presented this Sunday (Dec.11, 2022) the budget proposal for next year to the president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT). The emedebist intends to deliver the final text to Congress on Monday (Dec.12, 2022).
The elected vice-president Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), the future ministers of Fernando Haddad (Farm) and Rui Costa (Casa Civil), and the senator-elect Wellington Dias (PT-PI), which has also been conducting negotiations on the subject.
According to Castro, the budgetary piece takes into account the fiscal space made possible by the PEC (proposed amendment to the Constitution) in the version approved by the Senate.
The proposal exceeds the spending limit by about R$ 200 billion. The justification is to release resources for the payment of the Auxílio Brasil, which will once again be called Bolsa Família, at R$ 600, plus R$ 150 per child up to 6 years old and to increase resources for investments.
“As a budget space is being created with the approval of the PEC, we went to show how this space would be recomposed. So, we’re following the transition team’s suggestions and introducing the changes we thought were necessary. Everything was clarified about what we are doing, in a very transparent way”said.
The Chamber, however, will start analyzing the text possibly on Tuesday (Dec.13, 2022). Members of Centrão argue that the value outside the ceiling is lower. There is no consensus on this change. Another point that can change is the duration of the new rules, which can go from 2 to 1 year.
Castro, however, says he trusts that the deputies will endorse the text approved by the Senate. “We hope that the PEC, which is a prior commitment made, will be approved as it came from the Senate so that it can be enacted. Because if it has any merit modification, it would have to go back to the Senate. Evidently, our deadline is very tight, it would not be possible and could cause problems”said.
According to Castro, the expectation is that the PEC be approved between Tuesday and Wednesday.
“All of this is settled, combined, but you know that sometimes there are modifications. But we honestly hope that the PEC will be approved in the House as it was approved in the Senate because there is a widespread feeling of the imperative need for this PEC. Brazil would not function without the approval of this PEC”said.
Castro highlighted the score of the PEC in the Senate, in which the proposal was approved with 64 votes in favour, out of a possible 80. The Speaker of the House generally does not vote. “Everyone understood the need for the approval of the PEC to recompose the Budget, which is in deficit in several areas”, he said.
There is also doubt about whether the Chamber will close voting on the proposal later this week or whether it will be left for the day before the end of legislative work, scheduled for December 22. The main reason for the possible extension is the judgment of the rapporteur’s amendments by the STF (Federal Supreme Court), which will resume on Wednesday (14.Dec.2022).
Centrão leaders want to wait for the completion of the process before deliberating on the PEC. According to Power360 found, however, there is an expectation among allies of the new government that the ministers of the Supreme ask for a view (more time for analysis of the matter) and leave the vote for 2023. It would be seen as a vote of confidence for congressmen.
If the rapporteur’s amendments are considered unconstitutional by the STF this week, deputies should try to include the device in the PEC. The leader of the Government in the Chamber, Ricardo Barros (PP-PR), even defended the inclusion in the text to try to “save” the amendments. Thus, they would be constitutional. So far, the idea has not gone ahead.
Asked whether the trial could disrupt the vote in the Chamber this week, he quibbled and said that Lula had no influence on a possible STF decision against the amendments.
“Some want to take advantage of the situation to say that it is President Lula’s influence, but he has nothing to do with the story. He has his position, he expressed it during the campaign and he will not withdraw. But that has nothing to do with what the Supreme Court will decide.”said.
Castro said he was personally in favor of the rapporteur’s amendments and said he hoped the Supreme Court would consider them constitutional. “It is a prerogative of the legislature. What I believe the Supreme could do is a modulation”said.
2023 budget
According to Castro, the intention is to approve the 2023 Budget report at the CMO (Mixed Budget Committee) on Thursday (15.Dec.2022) and at the plenary of Congress the following week, the last before the end of legislative work .
The rapporteur stated that the priority areas for budget recomposition are health, education and the DNIT (National Department of Transport Infrastructure).
Castro stated that the proposal that the government initially sent to Congress left healthcare with BRL 16.6 billion less than in 2022. He stated that the sector will have a recovery of BRL 22.2 billion.
He also said that the SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde) will have to carry out joint efforts to reduce the queue of elective surgeries, mainly caused by the covid-19 pandemic.
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