PF warns MJ about halting operations due to lack of budget

The Federal Police (PF) sent a report to the Minister of Justice, Ricardo Lewandowski, warning about the risk of halting the corporation’s operations, such as issuing passports and the progress of investigations, due to budget cuts. The document was obtained and released by Estadão.

According to the document, security for authorities could be suspended as early as May, due to lack of resources for daily allowances and tickets. They demand a budget supplement of R$527 million to guarantee the delivery of all PF duties by December.

The PF also detailed excess operating expenses that were outside of planning:

• Operation Amas, which expands the presence of security forces in the Amazon – R$ 122 million;
• GLO (Guarantee of Law and Order) in ports and airports in Rio and São Paulo – R$79 million;
• Security in the G20 – R$58 million;
• Control of CACs (hunters, shooters and collectors) – R$65 million.

Operation Lesa Pátria, which investigates financiers of the acts of vandalism on the 8th of January, is one that is threatened by the budget cut. The Argos action, which targets cross-border crimes, is also another that could be affected.

The cuts announced by the corporation, worth R$ 133 million, were made, this Thursday (11), by the Ministry of Planning and Budget. However, there has already been a reduction in the 2024 LOA for corporations by around R$70 million. The PF informs that it has already had a total cut of R$203 millionsince 2023.

A Gazeta do Povo, the Ministry of Justice reported that it “recognizes that budget changes and cuts occur to fit into the Sustainable Fiscal Regime, in the name of the country’s fiscal sustainability”.

“However, it is worth stating that the management of minister Ricardo Lewandowski, through the executive secretary, Manoel Carlos de Almeida Neto, is in negotiations with the Budget Execution Board and, especially, with the Ministry of Planning and Budget so that it can be the recomposition of part of the planned budget was made possible, to minimize impacts on the execution of actions planned for 2024”, explained the ministry.