In a message to Congress, Lula asks for support for government reforms

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) sent a message to the National Congress in which he preached harmony between the powers and defended dialogue for the approval of government proposals and reforms in 2023. The letter was delivered this Thursday (2) by the Minister of Civil House, Rui Costa, and read during the opening ceremony of the Legislative year.

“Honored by the Brazilian people with a third mandate, I once again address the Parliament to propose a harmonious, albeit independent, action in favor of the reconstruction of Brazil. Urgent and necessary reconstruction because Brazil and the Brazilian people have been submitted, in the last four years, to an appalling process of weakening institutions and denial of rights and opportunities”, said Lula.

The document sent is customary at the opening of the works of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate each year. The text was read by deputy Luciano Bivar (União-PE), 1st secretary of the board of directors of the Chamber.

In the message, Lula highlighted the measures approved by Congress even before his inauguration, such as the PEC that pierced the spending ceiling and made it possible to pay R$ 600 to Bolsa Família. For this year, the president defended the need for dialogue with parliamentarians to build a new fiscal regime for the country and approve a tax reform.

“The spending ceiling had destructive effects on social policies, at the same time that it became absolutely innocuous as an instrument of fiscal control. We are going to build a new fiscal regime for Brazil”, stated the president.

Lula indicated that he intends to send to the National Congress, still in the first half of the year, a proposal for a new fiscal rule to replace the spending cap.

Lula asks for support for the approval of the tax reform in Congress

The head of the federal Executive also stated that he will move forward in the discussion on tax reform. “It is essential for the sustainable resumption of growth, and that should promote a change capable of distributing the tax burden more fairly”, he pointed out.

The letter also states that the government will adopt a new policy to increase the value of the minimum wage. According to Lula’s message, by next April, he will prepare a proposal on the subject.

“Soon, we also want to count on the collaboration of Congress for the negotiated construction of rules for a new union and work protection system”, he added.

President mentions situation of the Yanomami people

Lula also defended that Congress adopt “more drastic” measures against the “genocide” of the Yanomami people. “It is urgent to remove the 20,000 miners who work illegally in indigenous territory, murdering children, destroying forests and poisoning rivers and fish with mercury,” he said in the message.

The Yanomami people face a public health crisis, with numerous cases of malaria and severe malnutrition. Recently, the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, announced the sending of resources from the Amazon Fund to help indigenous peoples.

Still on the environmental agenda, Lula said that he wants to make Brazil an “environmental power” whose agricultural sector and whose mining are sustainable, having the industry “greener” and stimulating the so-called bioeconomy.

“We have restored policies to combat deforestation. We have reactivated the Amazon Fund and reviewed the allocation of environmental fines, because it is urgent to resume a responsible policy in relation to our biodiversity”, stated the President of the Republic.