President of TCU spends four months abroad traveling around the world

TCU ministers closed the year with expenses of R$7 million on international trips accompanied by advisors. The president of the court, Bruno Dantas, led the spending with R$918 thousand in 14 trips. His tickets to Goa (India) and Dubai cost R$67 thousand and R$78 thousand. With so much traveling, he spent almost four months out of the country. Their missions accompanied by civil servants and other ministers consumed R$2 million.

The most expensive trip was to New York, in November – R$345 thousand. Dantas, Minister Vital do Rêgo and four advisors were in the delegation. The reason was of great interest to the court: the TCU representation was on a mission to run for the United Nations (UN) Board of Auditors. Rêgo’s ticket amounted to R$61,000.

Dantas’ official mission to Dubai, accompanied by two advisors, cost R$213,000. His ticket cost R$78,000. The cost of an advisor was R$56,000. The delegation went to participate in COP28 and the ceremony to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Control Institution of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates).

Trip with “stopover”

On the trip to Goa and Kingston (Jamaica), in June, Dantas was accompanied by three advisors. His ticket cost R$67,000, but that of an advisor reached R$70,000. The account closed at R$286 thousand. The main event was the summit meeting of the forum for Supreme Control Institutions members of the G20. The trip began in Goa, there was a short stop from the 15th to the 18th, at no cost to the court, and it concluded in Kingston.

In March, Dantas had already flown to Koror (Palau), accompanied by minister Walton Alencar and two advisors. They went to attend the 24th General Assembly of the Organization of Pacific Higher Control Institutions. The tickets alone totaled R$150,000. Another R$ 278 thousand in the taxpayer’s account.

TCU’s candidacy for a position at the UN generated expenses. In May, a caravan of three ministers and five advisors, led by Dantas, was in New York in May for the official launch of the TCU’s candidacy, “in the name of Brazil”, to occupy, from 2024 to 2030, the available seat in the UN Board of Auditors, in New York. Travel expenses totaled R$304,000.

That same month, Dantas had already completed a heavy itinerary, accompanied by three advisors. He was in Vienna, Prague, Bonn and Berlin. The “representation” of the Presidency of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (Intosai) cost another R$250,000.

“Benefits for society”

The second biggest expense was by minister Walton Alencar – R$588 thousand. Your ticket to Koror Palau cost R$53,000. For Bangkok, R$50 thousand. Vital do Rêgo spent another R$461 thousand. In addition to the R$61,000 ticket to New York, he paid R$50,000 for the ticket to Singapore. There are also “representation” trips in the country. Who spent the most? Dantas, with R$85 thousand. The second? Walton Alencar, with R$80 thousand.

“Stretches” are frequent. It occurs when the minister extends the trip and pays for accommodation, food and transportation on his own. Minister Vital do Rego, for example, traveled to Manila (Philippines) and Singapore (Singapore), with two advisors, for meetings with the Control Institutions of those countries, from August 24th to September 11th. But TCU only paid the expenses until September 4th. The one-week “stretch” was due to the minister. The daily rates paid to ministers are US$727 – around R$3,700. The mission in Southeast Asia cost R$170,000 to the public coffers.

The blog questioned TCU about the high spending on international travel. The court stated that, since November 2022, it has presided over Intosai – an international organization with the status of a UN consultative body. “Intosai has around 200 member countries and aims to improve government auditing in all countries around the world,” stated the TCU.

The court added that, “in this position, whether through its authorities or its auditors, the TCU has the duty and responsibility to attend numerous technical meetings and assemblies that take place at Intosai and regional organizations. Public audit techniques adopted by the court follow international standards defined in these forums. The use of these standards improves the Court’s work, resulting in benefits for public administration and Brazilian society.”

After the publication of the report, the TCU added that, following the official announcement of the Brazilian candidacy for the vacancy for the Council of Auditors of the United Nations, in May 2023, the federal government worked together to obtain support from member countries of the United Nations. UN. The president of the TCU, minister Bruno Dantas, the vice-president and magistrate of the Court, minister Vital do Rêgo, and the permanent representative of Brazil at the UN, ambassador Sergio Danese, participated in this construction that resulted in the election by acclamation of the TCU to the Council of UN Auditors.