Government spends R$26 million on furniture and renovations, says newspaper

The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) must spend R$ 26.8 million from public coffers on the acquisition of furniture and renovations at the Palácio do Planalto, Palácio da Alvorada and Granja do Torto, residences of the presidency, and at the Palácio do Jaburu, official residence of the vice-presidency. The survey is from the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo and was published this Monday (25), based on information on the Transparency portal.

Some purchases stood out, such as a luxury carpet worth R$114,000, the justification for acquiring which was to give more “Brazilianness” to the Palácio do Planalto, which currently has carpets with oriental motifs. Another luxury item purchased was a sofa, chosen by the first lady, according to the newspaper, which cost R$65,000. The floor at Granja do Torto was also renovated, for a price of R$156,000.

Bed and bath linen were updated throughout the year, totaling R$130,000, of which R$41,000 was spent without bidding in September. Another R$89,000 comes from a auction launched on December 4th for the purchase of items such as blankets, pillowcases and bathrobes, according to the newspaper.

The Communication Secretariat (Secom) of the Presidency of the Republic told Estadão that the pieces acquired respect the standards and references of the official Palaces and that they will be integrated into the Union’s heritage and, thus, will also be used by future presidents.