Rapporteur of the new tax rule says there is “noise” about lack of punishment for not reaching goals

The rapporteur for the new fiscal framework in the Chamber of Deputies, Cláudio Cajado (PP-BA), said this Wednesday (10) that there is “noise” in the discussion of the new project on what would be a lack of punishment for the President of the Republic in the in case of not reaching the targets established for the primary result of the public accounts.

Cajado claims that some deputies ask for tough rules of punishment, while others argue that there are no sanctions — or milder ones. “You have to find a balance,” he said.

“We are not talking here about a crime of responsibility against the President of the Republic. This is an issue that is outside the text of the framework because we work with the Fiscal Responsibility Law. The Responsibility Crime Law is another piece of legislation. When talking about sanctions and triggers, it is management to monitor and pursue the primary result target, that is what we are dealing with”, he explained in an interview with GloboNews.

According to the deputy, the outline of the text with the rapporteur’s considerations is already ready, and now in the negotiation phase with the other parliamentarians to put it to a vote possibly next week. Cajado met with ministers Rui Costa (Casa Civil) and Alexandre Padilha (Institutional Relations) on Tuesday (9) and will have meetings with the PSB and PSD benches this Wednesday afternoon (10).

In addition to Cajado, ministers Costa and Padilha are also due to meet with leaders of both parties this Wednesday (10) to improve the government’s articulation in Congress.

Also during the day, the parliamentarian will have a meeting with the president of the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), Bruno Dantas, to present the outline of the project for the new fiscal rule.

Cajado also said that he is open to negotiations to seek consensus on sensitive points of the project, such as the issue of spending triggers and contingencies, the review of tax exemptions, more ambitious or more lenient goals, among others.

“We have to tell the market that balance is being sought,” he said.

Cláudio Cajado also stated that he is talking to parties outside the governing base, such as PSDB and PL, to win the necessary votes. “Everyone is aware of the importance of this fiscal framework”, he added.

The expectation is that the rapporteur’s final text will be presented at the plenary session of Thursday (11) of the Chamber of Deputies. The initial forecast was still this Wednesday (10), but the articulation meetings postponed the deadline.