The 2016 Budget Plan in Brazil Pressures Congress

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – To get the approval of what is being called by many supporters as the ‘most transparent budget bill’ ever to be drafted, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff said on Monday she is willing to visit Congressional representatives to explain the document. The 2016 budget bill announced by Planning Minister, Nelson Barbosa and Finance Minister Joaquim Levi, forecasts a primary deficit of R$30.5 billion, 0.5 percent of the country’s GDP.

According to the document inflation should decline from the expected over 9.2 percent this year to 5.4 percent next year while the GDP growth rate should go from a retraction this year to a positive 0.2 percent in 2016.

“It should not be difficult to get Congressional approval,” said Chamber of Deputies government leader José Guimarães after the announcement. “It is transparent and reflects Brazil’s reality.”

According to Guimarães the important fact is that the bill ‘preserves the victories obtained in the past few years, such as social programs, minimum wage and the program Minha Casa, Minha Vida (My Home, My Life).

For Senator Blairo Maggi the government has the chance with this bill to reorganize its finances. According to Maggi the Administration will now have to act more like a corporation and regular Brazilian citizens, cutting costs to make ends meet.

The bill however, was not praised by all in Congress. Senator Cristovam Buarque told Agencia Brasil that he considered it cynical sending a bill to Congress to let legislative representatives make the necessary reduction costs, which is the job of the Executive.

“I believe that the government is disoriented, bankrupt and cynical. Disoriented because it does not know what to do; bankrupt because it has no money; and cynical because it has left us (Congress) with the problem,” Senator Buarque said.