The new budgetary framework, which replaced the spending ceiling, determines the return of the floor for health and education spending. The government must therefore devote 15% of its net current revenue to health and 18% of its tax revenue to education.

This year there are resources to achieve the minimum education. However, for health, it would be necessary to pay an additional 20 billion reais.

During the consultation, the ministry is considering whether the constitutional floor should be applied in 2024. The framework was approved by Congress in August. The government wants to know if the mandatory minimum sentence would only be valid from 2024.

According to the notice sent to the TCU, the consultation refers to the “retroactivity of the rules which, during the financial year, increase the minimum values ​​to be applied by the Union in certain actions and public services”.

The TCU may, however, not accept the request. Indeed, an internal opinion from the Court – delivered after consultation with the public prosecutor – excludes the risk of a cessation of activities indicated by the government, if it is necessary to reduce expenditure to reach the floor of the 2023 accounts.

This month, the Chamber of Deputies approved the Complementary Bill on State and Municipal Compensation, which included a section to reduce the amount, which would be around 5 billion reais. The text went to the Senate.

Until the start of the week, the government had not yet decided whether to forward the consultation to the TCU. On Monday (25), the Minister of Planning, Simone Tebet, declared that she did not plan to consult the Court of Auditors and that the result would have to be expected in the coming months.