Wagner defends fiscal adjustment and rules out investment cuts.
Even with a budget cut of almost R$ 2 billion in his ministry, the Minister of Defense, Jaques Wagner, said today (24) that he defends the fiscal adjustments proposed by the government; in Itaguaí, in Greater Rio, where he visited the shipyard responsible for the construction of five submarines, he stated that the adjustments are necessary; "We have been carrying out a gigantic social inclusion program for 12 years, growing the economy and the industrial base, but if we go too far, it will disrupt everything and we could lose a lot. There will be no change of course. Our trajectory is economic development with social inclusion."
Vitor Abdala - Reporter for Agência Brasil
Even with a budget cut of almost R$ 2 billion in his ministry, Defense Minister Jaques Wagner said today (24) that he supports the fiscal adjustments proposed by the federal government. In Itaguaí, in Greater Rio, during a visit to the shipyard responsible for the construction of five submarines, Wagner stated that the adjustments are necessary.
"They are like a pit stop in a Formula 1 race. We have been running a gigantic social inclusion program for 12 years, growing the economy and the industrial base, but if we go too far, it will disrupt everything and we could lose a lot. Now, it's like a pit stop to get some oxygen and continue. There will be no change of trajectory. Our trajectory is economic development with social inclusion," added the minister.
According to him, "there is no possibility" of reducing or interrupting investments in strategic areas of defense, such as the nuclear submarine, cybersecurity, and aerospace. Wagner reported that, even with fiscal adjustments, a salary increase for the military is under study.
The minister further explained that the government is committed to debating fiscal adjustment measures with the National Congress. He acknowledged that there may be concessions on the part of the government. "Will what comes out of Congress be exactly what went in? Probably not. Nothing in a democracy comes out of a debate the same way it went in," he stressed.
According to Wagner, measures such as changing the rules for unemployment insurance do not mean a reduction in workers' rights.
"These measures are not intended to take away rights, but to optimize worker protection systems. Unemployment insurance was conceived at a time with a high unemployment rate. We are now in a different reality, with a high rate of labor turnover. Rethinking a worker protection instrument in light of a different moment in the Brazilian economy is not about taking away rights. It's about adapting the right to a new reality," he added.
During the visit, the minister also commented on Indonesia's threat to reconsider its purchase of Super Tucano fighter jets from Brazil due to diplomatic problems between the two countries. He believes that the "traumatic moment" between the two countries will be overcome and that this will not affect the purchase of the Brazilian aircraft.
When asked about a possible review of the Amnesty Law, the minister said that the decision rests with the Supreme Federal Court and that his "focus is on the future, not the past."