The hangover at the end of the year is increasingly distant and Brasília is once again agitated. This year's turmoil will certainly be very particular as we will have elections; In practice, this means an increase in government spending, especially with works and projects that can be presented on television (I challenge the reader to find news about expanding the sewage network).
As is already customary, our political representatives (from all sides) will seek to show that they are not part of traditional politics, who are different and who have always been defenders of alternative paths. To verify these speeches, we just need to listen to the minister and now presidential candidate José Serra (“I will make the necessary changes”) or the governor of Maranhão Roseana Sarney. A PSDB, a outra PFL; both from the government's support base – or better, both government! – promising transformations in the future. Whether these transformations are important, because they are not made now?
Obviously, political accounts, social and financial consequences of so much inconsistency on the part of our governments will be paid for by the people. Once again we will be trapped between election propaganda and rumors. Yet, The most important thing here is to see how the government promotes itself as fair and decent, at the same time that he does not hesitate to show his pettiness.
In an article published in Gazeta Mercantil (18/jan/2002), about negotiating the IR table, We fear that “To LRF [Fiscal Responsibility Law] was the government's alibi to justify the increase in Social Contribution on Net Profit (CSLL) of service providers (…). Legal, losses from correction of deductions must be compensated with increased taxes and to recover revenue reductions related to the correction of the table” (our highlights).
The idea that supported the approval of the LRF, was that this would limit government spending, making the State healthier. Instead, What we see today is the government increasing its revenue base to remain within the spending percentages allowed by law.
This is certainly an easier path than controlling deviations and corruption, put an end to absurd and useless expenses, reduce the size of the state bureaucracy… The question remains whether this is the most comfortable path in an election year..
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Pol & iacute; tica
Year II – N. 7 – January of 2002
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