The average price of the basic food basket in Brazil, currently at R$ 663.29, represents about 55% of the current value of the minimum wage, of R$ 1,212.
The information is from a survey produced by the CNN based on data from the Inter-union Department of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies (Dieese), which took into account the value of food in 16 capitals of the country, since 1998, and compared it with the respective minimum wage each year.
According to the survey, this year the basket reached the highest percentage since 2004, when it was equivalent to 58% of the minimum wage.
In 2012 and 2018, the basic food basket reached the lowest cost in relation to salary, reaching 40% of monthly earnings.
In 2012, the basket cost an average of R$248.36 and the remuneration was R$622. In 2018, the minimum wage was R$954, while the basic basket cost about R$386.20.
THE CNN asked the pre-candidates for the Presidency of the Republic what they think about doing with the minimum wage policy.
Check out the answers below:
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT):
The Lula government established a policy of valuing the minimum wage, fundamental for a more dignified remuneration, poverty reduction and expansion of the domestic consumer market. The return to the appreciation of the minimum wage is a priority in a new Lula government.
Jair Bolsonaro (PL):
The pre-candidate has not responded at the time of publication.
Ciro Gomes (PDT):
The pre-candidate has not responded at the time of publication. However, on February 18 of this year, Ciro Gomes published on his Twitter account:
“Reading the minimum wage above inflation is fundamental. You can’t admit so many years without a real raise. Brazil currently has the second worst minimum wage among the 35 member countries of the OECD, second only to Mexico. Is it or is it not to rebel against this absurdity?”
André Janones (Avant):
The pre-candidate has not responded at the time of publication.
Simone Tebet (MDB):
The pre-candidate did not respond at the time of publication.
Pablo Marcal (Pros):
I know that the old populist recipe is to say that we are going to raise the minimum wage and then not fulfill the campaign promise, which unfortunately Brazilians are already used to. I’m not going to do like Luiz, who in the 2002 campaign promised that he would double the minimum wage if he was elected and then gave a 20% increase, just above the inflation at the time. All my lines and promises are doable and will be carried out.
The minimum wage is an instrument of economic policy, but it is not the only one. The government’s priorities must be to control inflation, recover the economy and employment while recovering the purchasing power of families. Obviously, the poorest families suffer much more from the uncontrolled inflation that we have today. But this is not an easy task, and there are no fancy solutions without impacting public accounts and contaminating the economy in general.
Unlike the current government, which will go down in history as the first president of Brazil to reduce the purchasing power of the minimum wage – since the implementation of the Real Plan -, I understand that, year after year, we must return this purchasing power to Brazilian families, always raising wages above inflation.
These are the commitments I take on: lowering the cost of the basic food basket, increasing the job offer by encouraging the entrepreneurialization and virtualization of the country and returning the purchasing power of Brazilians with an increase in the minimum wage above inflation. More than thinking about votes, we need to think about people, families. The economy is only viable if, instead of thinking about votes, we think about people. Brazil deserves more than that.
Felipe d’Avila (New):
The only way to increase wages is for the economy to grow again to generate more investment, employment and income. Inflation erodes the purchasing power of Brazilians, especially the poorest. The government needs, first of all, to do its homework: to bring inflation under control, take care of the bills and carry out the reforms that the country needs. There are no shortcuts or magic solutions.
Jose Maria Eymael (DC):
The pre-candidate has not responded at the time of publication.
Leonardo Pericles (UP):
The pre-candidate has not responded at the time of publication.
Luciano Bivar (Union Brazil):
The pre-candidate has not responded at the time of publication.
Sofia Manzano (PCB):
The pre-candidate did not respond at the time of publication.
Vera Lucia (PSTU):
The Brazilian minimum wage is insufficient to meet the basic needs of a family. With the famine, this situation worsened. The basic food basket costs an average of R$ 663.29, that is, more than half of the current minimum wage (R$ 1,212.00).
Immediately, we defend doubling the value of the minimum wage, towards the minimum wage stipulated by the Inter-Union Department of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies (Dieese), currently worth R$ 6,394.76, the ideal to cover all the expenses of a worker.
Debate
THE CNN will hold the first presidential debate of 2022. The clash between the candidates will be broadcast live on August 6, on TV and on our digital platforms.
Photos – The pre-candidates for the presidency
Source: CNN Brasil
I am Sophia william, author of World Stock Market. I have a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and I have worked as a reporter for several news websites. I have a passion for writing and informing people about the latest news and events happening in the world. I strive to be accurate and unbiased in my reporting, and I hope to provide readers with valuable information that they can use to make informed decisions.
