Centrão assumes Ministry of Tourism dependent on amendments – 07/18/2023 – Power

Under the command of the centrão after the appointment of deputy Celso Sabino (União Brasil-PA), the Ministry of Tourism operates with a low budget and depends on parliamentary amendments for investments.

Of the BRL 580 million expected for the body in 2023, more than 90% (about BRL 540 million) are reserved for appointments of deputies and senators, a scenario that forces the new minister to negotiate with Congress to guarantee resources for the institution itself. folder.

President Lula (PT) made official the change of command in Tourism on Friday (14) by exonerating deputy Daniela Carneiro and nominating Sabino for the position of minister. The measure is part of the PT’s attempt to increase the support of the União Brasil in votes in the interest of the government – the party has 59 deputies and 8 senators.

The change came after more than a month of discussions. At the beginning of the Lula administration, Daniela was seen by Planalto as an asset because of her connection with the Baixada Fluminense electorate, but she became a problem for the PT after breaking with União Brasil and becoming a target of the centrão.

In addition Sheet revealed a link between the then minister’s political group and militiamen, the subject of one of the first crises in Lula’s ministry.

In general, Tourism acts to make the sector more attractive and stimulate the creation of jobs in the area. The portfolio also finances works in several municipalities, which attracts the interest of deputies and senators.

In 2020, when the ministry recorded the best budget under the management of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), one of the portfolio’s main works was the renovation of the convention center in Petrolina (PE), budgeted at more than R$ 30 million and funded by amendments of the rapporteur.

In the same year, the portfolio disbursed a similar amount to improve roads and access infrastructure to beaches in João Pessoa (PB). This work also used funds from the amendments that became one of Bolsonaro’s main bargaining chips in negotiations with Congress.

The ministry also finances renovations to squares, roads, chapels and public buildings. The Tourism service charter also includes marketing actions for local tourism with amendment funds, paying up to R$ 200,000 in artist fees.

In a video released on the day of her resignation, Daniela stated that the ministry was “scrapped” and complained about the lack of funds.

“I leave as I entered, with my head held high. Knowing that, despite the adverse scenario, a scrapped ministry with the smallest structure and the smallest budget since its creation, I managed, together with a committed and hardworking technical team, to carry out important deliveries for tourism Brazilian,” said the congresswoman in the video.

The resource available to Tourism exceeded BRL 1 billion in 2018. The figure dropped during the government. The folder also housed the actions of the Ministry of Culture, which had been extinguished by Bolsonaro and was recreated by Lula.

While the budget for Tourism fell, Culture received funding in negotiations with Congress that began during the government transition. The ministry led by Margareth Menezes has BRL 6.6 billion available for 2023.

In a hearing held in the Chamber in June, the then Minister Daniela said that the “budget recomposition” of Tourism is one of the biggest challenges of the government.

She stated that the ministry needs its “own budget”, as practically all available funds are linked to parliamentary amendments.

Tourism’s own resources, that is, the portion that is not linked to the nominations of deputies and senators, fell from BRL 450 million in 2019 to approximately BRL 100 million in the following years.

In 2023, the money in the ministry’s hands plummeted to R$39 million, increasing dependence on amendments. Of this figure, Daniela estimated during the hearing that around BRL 20 million are for actions such as “works, support for events, tourist signs, promotion”.

Most of the BRL 580 million available to Tourism in 2023 will be defined by the Senate’s Regional Development and Tourism Commission. The collegiate chaired by Senator Marcelo Castro (MDB-PI) has the power to allocate R$ 400 million from the portfolio.

Sabino’s entry into Tourism still represents the expansion of power of the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), in the first echelon of the government.

As shown to SheetSabino’s party and state colleagues describe him as a deputy much more aligned with Lira than with his initials, having been a “fulfiller of missions” given by the President of the House in recent years.

The government’s actions on Tourism are still shared with Embratur (Brazilian Agency for the International Promotion of Tourism), a body headed by former deputy Marcelo Freixo (PT).

The agency has a budget of BRL 331 million in 2023 and mainly to promote national tourist destinations.