The federal government announced, this Tuesday (17), the sending of a provisional measure (MP) to Congress to open extraordinary credit of R$514 million.
The measure was defined after authorization from the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) Flávio Dino to release resources outside the fiscal framework to combat fires, without impact on fiscal targets. Dino’s opinion was published on Sunday (15).
The MP’s announcement was made by Minister Rui Costa, from the Civil House, during a meeting at Palácio do Planalto with representatives of the Three Powers.
In addition to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the meeting was attended by the president of the Federal Supreme Court, Luís Roberto Barroso, of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), and of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL).
“Today, the president signs the credit MP, using the conditions given by Minister Dino, an extraordinary credit of R$ 514 million, distributed in several areas of the government, primarily in the environmental area of fighting fires, but here it is distributed in other areas”, stated Rui Costa.
The minister also said that new credit could be opened based on the diagnosis of meetings that the government should hold in the coming days. One of these meetings should take place on Thursday (19), with the presence of governors.
Provisional measures have the force of law and are effective immediately upon publication. However, the norm needs to be assessed by the National Congress within a period of up to 120 years to become ordinary law.
Division of resources
According to the Civil House, the MP will open credit to several ministries and authorities. The Ministry of the Environment will receive resources to combat fires and monitor the fires.
According to the ministry, the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Resources (Ibama) and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) will be able to purchase materials and equipment, in addition to hiring new specialized firefighting services, such as firefighters, vehicles and aircraft.
In addition, the Ministry of Justice will receive resources to deploy police teams for investigations and investigations in the region of the fires. Part of the amount will also be allocated to the National Public Security Force to send and mobilize 180 new professionals for one hundred days.
The resources will also be allocated to actions by the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Social Development, which must purchase 300,000 basic food baskets and 7,000 tons of food from 2,600 family farmers in the North region, affected by the fires.
Three other folders should receive part of the credit:
- Agrarian Development,
- Integration and Regional Development,
- of Indigenous Peoples.
Other actions
Also according to the Civil House, Lula must sign an order that provides 60 days for the restructuring of Civil Defense.
Furthermore, the government must relax, through another MP, the rules for hiring from the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). The objective is to provide greater agility in the application of the institution’s resources.
The government also intends to establish a new fund for resource management along the lines of the Amazon Fund, aimed at other biomes, such as the Caatinga, the Cerrado, the Pantanal, the Atlantic Forest and the Pampa.
“There are expressions from other countries, from other donors, that they would like to donate, beyond the Amazon to other biomes”, informed Rui Costa.
With resources from the Budget and the Amazon Fund, the government must purchase new aircraft and kits to combat forest fires. Furthermore, administrative sanctions for environmental infractions must have fines increased.
Fires
This Tuesday, the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, said that Brazil has almost 5 million square kilometers at risk for fires. The area corresponds to around 60% of the national territory.
Ministers Rui Costa (Casa Civil), Marina Silva (Environment), Ricardo Lewandowski (Justice), Nísia Trindade (Health), Alexandre Padilha (Institutional Relations), Jorge Messias (Attorney General of the Union) also participated in the agenda at Planalto. , Herman Benjamin (Superior Court of Justice) and 4th vice-president of the Federal Court of Auditors, Vital do Rêgo Filho.
