Rousseff calls for austere spending
The first cabinet meeting of the second Rousseff administration took place in Brasília on Tuesday (Jan. 27), attended by all 39 ministers. President Dilma Rousseff called for austere spending and practical action against political corruption. “You must always be guided by this commitment. I'm counting on you to firmly stand up against any evidence of misuse of public funds in the areas under your responsibility.”
Following budget cuts on ministries, Rousseff pointed out that “the caps will require greater budget efficiency. We'll have to do more with less.” She went on to announce she is going to submit proposals to Congress to improve compliance enforcement. “We are pursuing a nationwide pact against corruption across all government and leadership levels, both in the public and the private spheres,” she said.
The president went on to announce the debate on political reform should begin in the first semester, and told ministers to respond to any rumors and provide the public opinion with clarification on how it is going to work. “Be clear, accurate, and make yourselves understood. We can't leave any pending questions,” she said.
The government is also going to extend concessions and authorizations on highways, ports, airports, and other areas including waterways and port dredging, to the private sector, and launch a program to streamline government bureaucracy.
Rousseff once again defended Petrobras during the meeting. She said that all wrongdoing within the organization should be investigated and punished “severely”, but this should not cast distrust on “the most Brazilian of all corporations, the most strategic and largest employer, the country's top investor.” About contractors implicated in the kickback scheme involving the oil company, the president said important businesses for Brazil should not be ruined. “It's the people involved in wrongdoing we have to punish.”
She went on to advise ministers to continue working to improve dialogue with Congress, mayors, state governors, and social movements.
*With additional reporting by Wellton Máximo
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Rousseff calls for austere spending
