The resource was used to pay for concerts by sertanejo artists during the electoral campaign in cities without infrastructure
Congress decided to put BRL 3.8 billion into “Pix amendments” to the Budget 2023🇧🇷 The mechanism provides direct transfer of federal resources to states and municipalities, without oversight or accountability🇧🇷 The transfer is made on the instructions of deputies and senators and the money can be spent by mayors and governors as they wish, without saying where it ends up.
According to the newspaper The State of Sao Paulo revealed, this amendment was used to pay for the concerts of sertanejo artists during the electoral campaign in cities without infrastructure and left without satisfying the primary needs of the population.
The money falls into municipal accounts without any investment plan and can be spent freely. The situation is different with other types of amendments, which are paid only after the presentation of the projects and the effective delivery of the works, in addition to the showdown.
The mechanism unites supporters of the government, members of the Centrão and the opposition and does not meet resistance even in the transition team of the future government.
“Due to the transition, we have taken care of the Bolsa Família PEC and budget adjustments so as not to run out of money for essential areas and investments,” said Senator-elect Wellington Dias (PT-PI), chosen by President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to negotiate the vote on the 2023 Budget. “I am an elected senator and I know that the council and the group leaders of the House and Senate are dealing with rules for greater transparency on the resources of the amendments”.
Gleisi and Aécio
The national president of the PT, MP Gleisi Hoffmann (PR), was the author of the PEC that created the special amendment, in 2019. Aécio Neves (PSDB-MG), opponent of the PT in the 2014 presidential elections, reported the proposal in the House. Of the 56 deputies of the PT, 55 indicated resources in this way in 2023. Five of the seven members of the college were present in the Senate. Wanted, Gleisi said the topic will not be addressed in the transition.
THE Pix amendment has become one of the main concerns of control bodies and public finance specialists, after the secret budget, a scheme that does not allow identifying the deputy who sponsors the allocation of public funds and revealed by the newspaper The State of Sao Paulo🇧🇷 In case of Pix amendmentresources are transferred without any indication of how they will be used, whether for the purchase of equipment or for construction.
Payment should be made by Lula in the first year of government. The transfer is mandatory and was only possible after a change in the Constitution, which created the transfer, technically called an “extraordinary transfer”.
The mechanism has been dubbed “pi amendmentx” because it consists of a quick and direct transfer, from the federal government treasury to the state and municipal government treasury. The MPs’ argument is to eliminate the bureaucracy. .
The amount presented will still be approved by Congress through the end of this year, but it is not expected to change. The volume is record-breaking and shows the increase in the adhesion of deputies to this type of amendments, which challenge the supervisory bodies.
In 2020, in the first year of existence, the Pix amendments amounted to R $ 621 million. The following year, they grew to R$2 billion. This year, the budget includes a total of R$ 3.3 billion. For 2023, the value proposed by Congress is 3.8 billion reais, with the appointment of 446 deputies and 61 senators, i.e. 85% of Congress.
The money was used to pay for sertanejo performances in parliamentarians’ political strongholds in the midst of the election campaign. Federal deputy André Janones (Avante-MG), for example, has allocated R $7 million to Ituiutaba (MG), his hometown. Of the total, R$1.9 million helped pay for a party with the singer Gusttavo Lima and other artists. There were no specifics on how the rest of the feature was used.
THE Pix amendment it also ended up on the account of town halls governed by relatives of deputies. Deputy Valdir Rossoni (PSDB-PR) put up R$16.9 million Pix amendments in the Municipality of Bituruna (PR), commanded by his son Rodrigo Rossoni, in the last two years. The municipal administration did not communicate where it applied the amount. The parliamentarian indicated another 9.85 million reais for his son’s municipality in 2023, the maximum amount allowed for the amendment.
“Bureaucracy does not exist. Move, go quickly,” MP Júlio Cesar (PSD-PI) told the newspaper. The State of Sao Paulo, in justifying the choice of the Pix amendment. In the last two years, it has given R$ 11.8 million to the municipalities of Piauí in this way.
For 2023, it has stamped another R$7.3 million. The justification is to pardon the allied mayors. The deputy admits that he did not follow up on the final use of the money. “It depends on the Court of Auditors. The mayors like the speed of release and the mayors who support us make the choice,” he said.
Transparency
Experts warn that, even with the direct transfer, the principles of the Constitution and of the laws that impose transparency and legality of the acts remain in force and must be respected. “Extraordinary transfers do not require the prior presentation of formal projects, agreements and agreements. In theory, this circumstance could compromise the transparency of public spending,” said the president of the Association of Members of the Courts of Accounts of Brazil (Atricon ), Cezar Miola.
The Federal Court of Auditors (TCU) analyzes a question that questions precisely who is responsible for overseeing these amendments and could trigger a tight-toothed comb over payments made by the federal government in this manner. The technical area of the Court has suggested that the Pix amendments be investigated because it is a federal appeal.
A wing of specialists, including technicians from the TCU itself, Congress and the government, says that the combing should be carried out by local authorities, i.e. by the Municipalities and the Courts of Auditors, because the resource now belongs to the municipality at the time of the transfer.
Model
the money from Pix amendment it can be used to build schools, squares, asphalt or pay for the maintenance of public bodies. The requirement is that 70% of the total is used for investments. Furthermore, the amendment cannot pay the payment of the servers and the debts of the municipalities.
All this, however, is not checked at the time of transfer, as there is no “stamp” identifying the final destination of the resource. The Ministry of Economy offers a system for mayors and governors to report what they intend to spend the money on, but accountability is optional.
This type of reversal is reserved only for individual amendments, those indicated by each deputy and senator in the budget.
The value of the Pix amendments represents 32% of all resources that MPs will have the right to individually indicate next year.
The information is from the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo.
🇧🇷The best content in your email for free. Choose your favorite Terra newsletter. Click here!
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
