Haddad denounces tax injustice: "In Brazil, the penthouse resident doesn't pay the condominium fees."

247 - Finance Minister Fernando Haddad reiterated his points to the concentration of privileges at the top of the social pyramid and the urgent need to correct fiscal distortions in Brazil. In an interview with... JR InterviewIn an interview with Record TV, published on YouTube last Tuesday (24), the head of the economic team highlighted that his central effort is “to balance public accounts by burdening those who do not pay taxes and relieving those who do”.

According to Haddad, the country maintains a regressive system that punishes salaried workers and the middle class above all. "Is it fair that a millionaire pays 2,5% income tax and a public school teacher pays 10%?" he questioned, noting that there are 141 Brazilians who earn more than R$ 1 million per year and contribute proportionally much less than those who earn up to R$ 5. "We are among the ten most unfair countries in the world from a tax perspective," he stated.

No extra expenses outside of emergencies.

The minister was direct in commenting on the bill that increases the number of deputies from 513 to 531. "No increase in spending is welcome, except for what is absolutely essential," he declared, classifying the proposal as inopportune given the effort to contain the deficit. He recalled that exceptions are only justified in extreme situations – such as the climate tragedy in Rio Grande do Sul – when "one cannot economize at the expense of people's lives."

Haddad argued that "freezing the debate on increased spending until fiscal sustainability is guaranteed" is a condition for maintaining the growth cycle that President Lula's government wants to prolong.

Super-rich in the adjustment accounts

To compensate for the promised income tax exemption for those earning up to R$ 5 per month, Haddad again defended supplementary taxation on high incomes: "We want those who earn R$ 80 or R$ 100 per month to pay at least the same as a public school teacher." He said he hopes that the rapporteur of the proposal, Deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL), "will come to the common sense that the rich have to pay something."

The minister also cited the case of online betting sites: "Between betting and the Santa Casa [a charitable institution], let's be honest: one is destroying lives, the other is building lives." The Treasury wants to reinstate the 18% tax rate – reduced to 12% by Congress – on this sector, which "makes a lot of money without generating jobs" and, to a large extent, sends profits abroad.

Employee's loan and housing credit

In the area of ​​credit, Haddad celebrated the rapid expansion of payroll loans for private sector workers: “In three months we lent R$ 16 billion, 40% of the volume of a program that took 20 years.” The next step, he said, is to unlock mortgage financing for the middle class: “We have a long road ahead.” The Central Bank, the Ministry of Cities, and Caixa Econômica Federal are finalizing new guarantee instruments to reduce interest rates and boost the construction industry.

Monetary policy and the external environment

When questioned about the recent increase in the Selic rate, Haddad stated that the increase “was agreed upon” at the last meeting chaired by Roberto Campos Neto and that “it’s not possible to make abrupt changes in monetary policy.” Despite the “very restrictive” rate, he is betting on a drop in food inflation and the robustness of the Brazilian external sector to sustain economic expansion. The minister assured that the conflict in the Middle East has a limited impact on Brazil, an oil exporter and leader in biofuels.

2026 on the horizon

Commenting on the upcoming election cycle, Haddad stated that the government will not repeat the fiscal "mess" of 2022: "Any leader who thinks that ruining public finances will solve the problem is wrong." He advocated for responsibility to strengthen the legacy of President Lula, the favorite to run for reelection. Regarding a possible independent candidacy in São Paulo, he was emphatic: "I have no intention of being a candidate in 2026."

The nearly 42-minute interview reveals the Treasury's strategy: to reinforce the narrative of fiscal responsibility combined with tax justice – charging those who contribute little or nothing and relieving those who sustain the system. It remains to be seen whether Congress will accept the bill presented by the minister or whether, as he himself defined it, "the penthouse resident who doesn't pay the condo fees" will persist.