Pacheco says that the five-year period ‘does not affect public accounts’, while the government estimates an impact of R$40 billion

BRASILIA — The president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), defended, this Tuesday, 23, the bonus for magistrates, claiming that the benefit does not affect “the balance of public accounts”. Pacheco admitted, however, that the number of categories that will be entitled to receive the so-called five-year period can be negotiated with the approval of a proposed amendment to the Constitution (PEC).

As shown by the EstadãoHowever, the PEC could bring an annual impact of R$40 billion to public coffers if approved by the National Congress, according to government estimates.

According to Pacheco, there is a commitment to only enact the PEC with bonuses for judges and prosecutors when the bill that ends super salaries in the Judiciary is also approved in Congress.

“The Budget belongs to the Judiciary, which will apply it to this structuring. Our zero deficit project, of balancing public accounts, is not affected by the prioritization, within the scope of an already defined budget, of career structuring, instead of construction of forum buildings, for example. It is something that has been studied over many years. The expansion (of categories) deserves new studies, involving the Executive”, said Pacheco, who is also the author of the proposal.

The text of the PEC foresees the return of the so-called five-year period, a bonus in the remuneration of judges and prosecutors paid every five years of service – which was abolished in 2003. The senator Eduardo Gomes (PL-TO), rapporteur of the proposal, extended the benefit to other categories, including members of the Attorney General’s Office (AGU), the Public Defender’s Office and delegates from the Federal Police.

As shown by the Estadãoif the privilege returns, a judge who earns more than R$40,000 per month can have a 5% increase every five years until the end of his career, in addition to the benefits that are already guaranteed, such as housing allowance and benefits to who works in more than one district.

The amount will be paid without respecting the salary ceiling that a public employee can receive per month. Today, this amount is the equivalent of the remuneration of a minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF): R$44,008.52 per month.

Pacheco understands that it is possible to negotiate the number of categories entitled to the five-year period. “There has been an expansion in the list of careers and this expansion is the subject of discussion. We will have the responsibility to discuss it with the Executive”, said the president of the Senate.

Despite the new categories included, Pacheco defended the approval of the PEC. He said that the 5% increase for every five years of service, without the need to meet any productivity targets, is important to ensure employees are stimulated in their roles.

“When we appeal to the Judiciary and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which together with the police are responsible for combating organized crime, it is important to have stimulated people on that end”, he stated. “The core of what the PEC has the reason for being, will be important so that these careers do not want to leave.”

The economic area of ​​the Lula government has restrictions on payment for the five-year period. The Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, who was traveling abroad, returned to the country to participate in negotiations with Congress and contain what the Executive considers to be a “bomb agenda”. Projects being processed in Congress could generate an extra bill of R$70 billion. Of this amount, R$40 billion refers to the five-year benefit.