Goiás' fiscal situation is a national highlight.

Goiás 247 - The fiscal adjustment promoted by Governor Marconi Perillo in the State's public accounts was presented as a reference for the country in a Globo News report broadcast on Friday night (17) on the GloboNews Em Pauta news program. When addressing the financial crisis faced by the State of Rio de Janeiro – which yesterday declared a state of public calamity due to the sharp drop in revenue due to the national economic crisis and the crisis at Petrobras – journalist and economic commentator Mara Luquet cited the Government of Goiás as a model of state administration that adopted faced the political cost and acted proactively to apply the necessary cost reduction measures to keep its obligations up to date.

Mara Luquet praised the actions implemented by Governor Marconi Perillo and stated that the accounts of the State of Goiás are in order because the administration anticipated the crisis and made a severe adjustment to expenses, taking into account the crisis scenario and the trend of increasing expenses. According to her, if other states, such as Rio de Janeiro, had done the same, the current fiscal situation of these federative units would be more comfortable. "I spoke with the Secretary of Finance of Goiás, Ana Carla (Abrão) Costa, and she told me that a very strong adjustment was made in Goiás," said the journalist.

Mara Luquet stated that Governor Marconi Perillo had "the necessary courage to face the financial crisis," because making adjustments to public accounts "has a political cost," especially due to "pressure from public employees for salary increases." The journalist recalled, however, that the Government of Goiás faced the challenge and implemented the adjustment, which was only possible thanks to "the determination of the Secretary of Finance" and the entire government. "It's important [that other states observe this model] because they will also have to go through this restructuring," Luquet stated.

The journalist also highlighted that without these actions, which allowed for the largest proportional fiscal adjustment in the country, Goiás would be in a situation similar to that of other states, such as Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Rio Grande do Sul. Mara Luquet was in Goiânia participating in a congress on business universities promoted by a higher education institution in the state affiliated with the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV). On Thursday, in her daily commentary on Jornal da CBN, broadcast from São Paulo to the entire radio network, Luquet had already reported on the adjustment made by the Government of Goiás to public accounts.

Speaking to CBN, Mara Luquet highlighted the measures adopted by the Goiás State Finance Secretariat, as directed by Governor Marconi Perillo, and the commitment of Secretary Ana Carla Abrão to implement these measures starting in January of last year. With a revenue shortfall of over R$ 3,3 billion, the State took the correct steps to save money and avoid a collapse, assessed Mara, who added that Goiás's adjustment was interesting because it targeted investments and personnel expenses (which showed a 6% natural growth during the period), even at a "high political cost." She considered that "tacking this is a challenge."

Marconi's reform was the largest ever undertaken in the country.

The adjustment to the accounts of the Government of Goiás was defined by Governor Marconi Perillo back in November 2014, when the first signs of the strong economic crisis that would hit the country from the following year emerged. At the time, the governor submitted a set of cost-cutting measures to the Legislative Assembly for consideration and voting, which established the reduction in the number of secretariats from 16 to 10, the elimination of 5 commissioned positions, and the suspension of 6 temporary contracts.

These measures allowed the State to keep contract payments up to date, ensure the continuity of investments, and maintain the regularity of the civil service payroll, which was paid strictly within the law. Simultaneously, Marconi ordered a significant adjustment in the costs of maintaining the administrative machinery, especially travel allowances, telephones, electricity, rent, and general consumable materials.

The first measures, such as the reduction of secretariats and the elimination of positions, came into effect on January 1, 2015, the first day of the governor's fourth term, and aimed for an overall reduction of R$ 1 billion in expenses. In March, a report in the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper compared the adjustment measures implemented by the governors, and Goiás emerged as the state that had reduced the size of its government the most and had promoted the largest spending cuts.

In April and May, the national economic crisis worsened, and Governor Marconi Perillo ordered further austerity measures in public spending. At the request of the Executive Branch, the Legislative Assembly approved the so-called Realistic Budget, which revised the values ​​of service contracts without compromising essential activities, such as investments in Education, Security, and Health. These measures allowed for the resizing of expenses with a view to maintaining investments.

Given the impact of the measures, the governor has always stated that they would ensure Goiás weathered the crisis more smoothly than other states and prepare the state for a return to growth. "We took longer to enter the crisis and we will emerge from it sooner, resuming the accelerated and above-average growth we achieved in recent years," the governor stated in interviews commenting on the measures being implemented. "I am an optimist, I always believe that we will overcome obstacles and achieve the results we set, but these days I am even more excited and motivated because the outlook for Goiás is very positive," the governor said on one occasion.