Levy announces new debt index for 2016.
The Finance Minister announced to the Senate's Economic Affairs Committee (CAE) the Executive's "irrevocable commitment" to complete the regulation of Complementary Law 148/2014 by February 1, 2016. This law established a new index for the debts of states and municipalities to the Union; according to him, the financial impact of this law is R$ 3 billion, which the government intends to avoid this year.
Djalba Lima, from the Senate Agency
Finance Minister Joaquim Levy announced to the Economic Affairs Committee (CAE) on Tuesday (31) the Executive's "irrevocable commitment" to complete the regulation of Complementary Law 148/2014 by February 1, 2016, which established a new index for the debts of states and municipalities with the Union.
In response to Senators Blairo Maggi (PR-MT) and Delcídio do Amaral (PT-MS), Levy said that next year there will be certainty of the success of the fiscal adjustment. For him, it will be "the moment when we will know that Brazil managed to avoid a difficulty, that we managed to overcome it, that we are truly on the path to growth, with the possibility of realizing dreams and desires."
The minister said that the financial impacts of this law are concentrated in practically two municipalities. However, according to Levy, when all the impacts are added together, there is "a bill of R$ 3 billion," which the government intends to avoid this year.
– R$3 billion is very significant. R$3 billion is more than half of what was expected to be obtained, including with the approval of the payroll tax exemption adjustment, whose effect this year, if the Provisional Measure had been implemented, would have been more or less R$5 billion, and which will now be less than R$3 billion.
Levy said he believes that a balanced situation was reached "through very strong dialogue with numerous participants" regarding the issue resulting from PLC 15/2015. This bill eliminates the argument of lack of regulation, used by the government, to implement the new index for state and municipal debts, which will reduce the disbursements made by these federative units for the payment of charges to the Union.
Authored by Congressman Leonardo Picciani (PMDB-RJ), PLC 15/2015 establishes a 30-day period, starting from the date of the debtor's request, for the signing of contractual amendments with the new index for these debts. According to the bill, after this period, the debtor may pay the amount due to the Federal Government.
The vote on PLC 15/2015 in the Senate Plenary was scheduled for March 25, but was postponed at the request of the Minister of Finance, who expressed concern about the impact of the measure on the Union's accounts.