RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The mayor of the city of Rio, Marcelo Crivella, increased the city’s spending on advertising by 50 percent in three years, as shown by an exclusive survey conducted by G1 news site.
In 2017, the first year of his administration, spending was R$45.1 million (US$11.27 million). Until December 10th this year, it rose to R$67.7 million. The data were collected through the Transparency Portal.
In the midst of the health crisis – with hospitals partially operating and salaries in arrears -, spending on advertising is the target of questioning by the Prosecutor’s Office (MP) and the Office of the Public Defender.
The institutions have jointly brought a public civil action calling for the establishment of a crisis cabinet to manage the municipal health network. The Court dismissed the injunction.
According to the plaintiffs’ estimates, Rio’s City Hall has failed to invest R$2.3 billion.
Crisis in health
Hospital and health clinic employees have paralyzed services. They claim that they have not received their salaries for 90 days, in addition to the 13th month salary delay. They further complain about working conditions – such as lack of equipment and medicines.
On the other hand, the authors of the public civil action also say that, in 2019, the city government reached “the highest threshold in three years” in advertising.
Levels are close to the pre-crisis period, they say. In the last year of Eduardo Paes’ government, in 2016, R$102.2 million were spent.
In 2019, it reached R$67.7 million.
How much would this amount be able to pay?
Among the actions advertised is the end of the Yellow Line toll. The prosecutors point out, however, that with a potential court decision against the city hall, the taxpayer’s loss may be even greater.
“It would only have served to further burden the shaken coffers with an additional expense, incompatible with those who routinely claim a decline in revenue”.
In 2019, the amount that Rio’s City Hall paid in advertising was higher than in the Cegonha Carioca (“Carioca Stork”), for instance — the program follows pregnant women from prenatal to delivery.
The R$67.7 million would also be used to pay over twice the amount used in the technological renovation of hospitals and in health surveillance/primary care in neighborhoods.
What Rio’s City Hall says
G1 submitted questions to the Rio City Hall at 7:55 PM on Wednesday, December 11th. The advisor returned saying that it would reply by Thursday but by the time the report was published the answer had not been forwarded.
What Eduardo Paes says
By phone, former mayor Eduardo Paes minimized spending by his government. “Did I fail to pay anyone, fire an employee? The problem is when you spend on advertising while you lack the basics. Governments communicate, there’s no problem,” he said.
Source: Globo