Brazil’s new gov’t to propose affordable meds, school meals in budget

The meeting between Brazil’s vice-President-elect Geraldo Alckmin and the rapporteur of the Bicameral Budget Commission, Senator Marcelo Castro, served as the kick-off for the assemblies of the transition team of President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The goal is to discuss the budget adjustments and make room for social programs that have lost funding.

Besides ensuring a BRL 600 allowance under the Auxílio Brasil cash transfer program, the new administration’s idea is to bring resources back to affordable medication initiative Farmácia Popular, was crossed out of the current government’s proposed budget for 2023. The money allocated to school meals should also be updated.

Wellington Dias, senator of the winning party, the Workers’ Party (PT), from Piauí state, and one of those responsible for discussing the budget in the transition period, plans to disclose Tuesday (Nov. 8) the exact amount needed to support the welfare programs and the BRL 600 aid next year. In the bill for the 2023 budget submitted to Congress by the current administration the aid stands at BRL 405.

According to the senator, the transition team is working on a constitutional amendment aimed at guaranteeing BRL 600. The rest of the budget adjustments will be made within the bill draft.