MP goes to TCU against PEC on Social Benefits

The Public Ministry at the Federal Audit Court (TCU) asked this Monday (4) that the court prevent the federal government from easing the spending ceiling. The body questions the validity of the Benefits PEC, approved on Thursday (30) in the Senate. Now, the proposal waits to be analyzed in the Chamber.

The PEC has the potential to increase the gap in public accounts by more than R$ 40 billion, once again making the spending ceiling more flexible and further harming the Brazilian fiscal and economic scenario.

According to Deputy Attorney Lucas Furtado, the electoral law prohibits the implementation of new benefits in the year the elections are held precisely to prevent candidates from using the public machine to obtain electoral advantage.

“But wouldn’t the case in question be an example of non-compliance with the electoral law? Wouldn’t the declaration of the ‘State of Emergency’ be just a subterfuge to evade the shackles of the electoral law? In my opinion, yes,” said Furtado.

For Furtado, the proposed amendment is “blatantly unconstitutional”.

“The aforementioned PEC has the potential to increase the deficit in public accounts by more than R$ 40 billion, once again easing the spending ceiling and further harming the Brazilian fiscal and economic scenario. Political interests and the imminence of new elections cannot prevail over Brazilian fiscal rules, given the risk of disharmony between the Powers and the negative risks for the Brazilian economy,” he said.

In addition, the government wants to approve a state of emergency in the country to circumvent electoral legislation, which prevents using the public machine to benefit a candidate in an election year.