TCU approves Bolsonaro’s bills in 2022 with reservations – 06/07/2023 – Power

The TCU (Tribunal de Contas da União) approved with reservations this Wednesday (7) the accounts for the last year of the mandate of former president Jair Bolsonaro, in 2022.

Unanimously, the ministers followed the opinion of the rapporteur, Jorge Oliveira, who was appointed to the court by Bolsonaro.

The court’s technicians pointed out three improprieties and one irregularity in the execution of budgets and in the management of federal public resources.

The rapporteur cited value distortions in the process of consolidating the financial statements that totaled approximately R$ 1.3 trillion. Among them, BRL 330 billion in tax credits unduly recognized by the Ministry of Economy from 2022.

The occurrence, according to the agency, significantly distorted the balance of these accounts, with repercussions on the financial result for the year.

“Although the Federal Revenue has detected the undue registration of tax credits in July 2022, arising from entries from individuals with indications of error in filling out declarations, the correction was only made in February 2023”, says the report.

There were also approximately BRL 263.36 million in unrecognized probable losses related to administrative fines applied by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA). According to the court, this was done even though there was a history of default that justified it.

“This fact distorts the expectation of receiving these amounts, with a direct effect on the equity result for the year. The matter was addressed in the annual audit of MAPA accounts for 2022, carried out by the CGU, and the recommendations are being addressed by this internal control body “, reports.

The document also pointed out that Bolsonaro did not provision around BRL 27 billion for this year’s Individual Income Tax refunds. The auditors report not having found the “recognition of obligation”.

The values, although entered in last year’s balance sheet, would be used in the financial year after the accrual exercise, already in the Lula government 3.

Despite this, the TCU verified that, despite their relevance, as a whole, the irregularities “do not present sufficient materiality and gravity to support an adverse opinion on the management of the Union’s budgets and other operations carried out with federal public resources, in particular regarding the establishing the annual budget law”.

“It is concluded that, except for the effects of the verified exceptions, the constitutional and legal principles that govern the federal public administration were observed, as well as the constitutional, legal and regulatory norms in the execution of the Union budgets and in other operations carried out with public resources federal budgets, in particular with regard to what the annual budget law establishes”, says the report.

The court’s analysis still needs to go through Congress, which has the final say on definitively approving Bolsonaro’s accounts.