Tarcísio retreats from the retreat in relation to Sabesp and the PM camera – 11/09/2023 – Power

In the campaign for the Government of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) even went back on promises considered controversial, such as privatizing Sabesp and putting an end to cameras on police uniforms. Once elected, however, the governor ignored the setbacks and moved forward with his initial agenda.

The privatization of Sabesp, which Tarcísio wants to approve in the São Paulo Legislative Assembly later this year, does not appear in the then candidate’s government plan, but has become the main banner of his administration.

The document talks about “advancing the universalization of treated water and sewage collection and treatment, bringing forward the goal of universalization from 2033 to 2027, with improved quality of service and fair tariffs.”

One of the government’s arguments in favor of privatization is that capitalization will bring resources to bring forward the universalization of sanitation in the state to 2029 without increasing the tariff for the consumer.

The plan, however, talks about granting assets such as “the airports of Congonhas, Campo de Marte and the ports of Santos and São Sebastião”. Sabesp is not mentioned.

Still in February 2022, Tarcísio stated that he would privatize Sabesp. “When we get there, we will sell Sabesp, yes, we will sell our stake in Sabesp,” he said at an event that brought together businesspeople and the finance sector.

“I think we have to privatize Sabesp because you gain efficiency, gain governance and generate resources, put money in,” he added.

Tarcísio’s main opponent in that race, Fernando Haddad (PT) began to respond to the proposal, stating that the sale of the state-owned company would cause an increase in the tariff. The Republican candidate then changed his speech and declared that he would study the privatization of the state-owned company.

“I will study privatization from day one. If I come to the conclusion that privatization will promote this objective, will improve the provision of services and provide a lower tariff, we will continue with privatization. But if we observe that privatization, to some extent, it presupposes a risk to the provision of services, for the citizen, we will not do it”, he said in October 2022 on Rádio Eldorado.

However, after winning the second round, Tarcísio declared in December that he would sell Sabesp, but studies to assess the feasibility of privatization would only be contracted in April of this year.

“We’re going to sell Emae first. Meanwhile, we’re working on what will be the great privatization of the state of São Paulo, which is Sabesp. People attacked a lot during the campaign, saying that the water bill would increase. That’s a lie, it will decrease”, he said at an event.

During the campaign, in two debates, Haddad even mocked Tarcísio’s fluctuations in relation to the topic.

“You don’t say what you’re going to do. I think you’re going to privatize because you already said you were going to privatize. Then you said you went back. Then you said again that you’re thinking, but we don’t know what you want to do with the largest state assets in São Paulo”, declared the PT member.

In one of the debates, Tarcísio, when making a comparison with Eletrobras, stated that privatization would bring investments and that the bill would decrease for the consumer.

Another loud promise, the removal of cameras from police uniforms, also suffered several twists and turns. In practice, although the governor has officially given up on his idea, he has been promoting measures that weaken this policy.

In the view of then candidate Tarcísio, the cameras would inhibit police work. The position received a lot of criticism from experts on the subject and, internally, even from the police themselves. The Olho Vivo program was part of an initiative that took eight years to put into practice and was considered a success.

Faced with the public reaction, Tarcísio went on to state that he would decide, listening to experts and the police, whether or not to keep the cameras. His government plan opened space for both interpretations: “Review body camera policy”.

“I consider that today the camera inhibits the police, it has hindered productivity, but that is a perception. What will we do if elected? Call the security forces and evaluate from a technical point of view whether or not they are effective and the improvement of public policy. There is no public policy that cannot be reevaluated, reconsidered”, he said in October 2022.

Once elected, he stated that he would maintain the program. “The issue of cameras, I was more critical in the campaign, now let’s hold it. Let’s keep it. Let’s see the result and what adjustments we can make,” he said in December.

What was seen in practice, however, was different. First, management discontinued a scientific study that had assessed the impact of body cameras on the behavior of military police officers in São Paulo.

Last month, in a further reduction in the program, the government cut R$15.2 million in funding for body cameras. In August, the government had already withdrawn R$11 million.

Last October 30, Tarcísio stated that he had no plans to buy new cameras. The declaration comes at a time when police lethality increased by 86% in the third quarter in the state of São Paulo compared to the same period of the previous year.

Another case in which Tarcísio ended up retreating from the retreat was in the appointment of his brother-in-law Mauricio Pozzobon Martins.

At the beginning of the year, Martins was appointed as special advisor to the governor. The STF (Supreme Federal Court) establishes that nepotism violates the Federal Constitution, which covers co-inhabitants. Tarcísio stated that he did not know about the veto and canceled the act.

However, he was elected one of the members of the Desenvolvimento SP audit committee last May. In September, Martins’ remuneration was R$16,000.

Contacted by the report, the government advisor states that Tarcísio “is strictly complying with what he said throughout the entire 2022 electoral campaign, in several interviews, hearings and debates” regarding Sabesp.

In other words, “the company’s governance model would be the subject of technical studies and that privatization would be an option if it proved to be advantageous for the population.”

In a statement, the government also says that the camera program “has guaranteed resources for the maintenance of the 10,125 pieces of equipment currently in use” and that “the report’s claim that the program is being cut is incorrect.”

Regarding Tarcísio’s brother-in-law, the press office states that Martins’ inauguration was “authorized by the Central Bank and is in accordance with the legislation” and that his election “complies with the requirements of the internal regulations” of Desenvolvimento SP.