Opposition state deputies filed a complaint against Governor Romeu Zema (Novo) accusing him of administrative improbity. The document was sent to the Public Ministry (MPMG), the State Court of Auditors (TCE-MG) and the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais (ALMG).
According to the document, Romeu Zema illegally spent resources from the Poverty Eradication Fund, in particular by opening million-dollar supplementary credits to cover expenses other than social actions. According to the complainants, the practice constitutes a misuse of purpose.
The deputies claim that Zema has already allocated at least R$88 million this year, via decrees, to the payment of items such as vacation bonuses, Christmas bonuses, “personal benefits” and “per diems for occasional employees.” The group estimates that expenses already exceed R$100 million.
The text asks the MP to launch investigations in the civil, criminal and acts of administrative improbity. It also recommends that the TCE investigate the alleged irregularities and determine that Zema refrain from issuing new credit opening decrees or promoting any commitment with FEM resources. They also envision that the governor will reimburse the public coffers and pay a fine.
Parliamentarians still want ALMG to receive the complaint and decide on authorization for Zema to be prosecuted for the crimes of responsibility identified. They also ask for his suspension from office and reduction of his allowances until sentencing. At the end of the process, they request that the person governed loses his mandate and is prevented from exercising another public function for five years.
O State of Minas contacted the Zema government, but has not yet received a response. Space is open for the governor.
Understand
The veto of the governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema (Novo), who blocked the amendment providing for the allocation of more than R$1 billion from the Extreme Poverty Eradication Fund (FEM) to the State Social Assistance Fund (FEAS), returned to the center attention this week at the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais. Behind the scenes, both the opposition and the government are articulating strategies for the debate, which should take place this week and next.
On the one hand, Zema argues that the items go against Law 19,990/2011, which gives the Planning and Management Secretariat (Seplag) control of the FEM and its resources, requiring a group with government and council representatives to approve the release of funds. On the other hand, the opposition maintains that the governor is closing off an opportunity for municipalities in Minas Gerais to increase funding for their public policies, which could improve people’s lives.
The issue had already been debated at ALMG in December 2023, when the Budget proposal arrived at the House without foreseeing the use of R$1.2 billion to combat poverty.
On the occasion, Governor Romeu Zema presented and obtained approval of a project to charge an additional 2% of ICMS (Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services) on products considered superfluous, such as beer and cell phones, among others. In response and in agreement with the government, state deputies also unanimously approved an amendment to the 2024 Annual Budget Law – authored by deputy Bella Gonçalves (Psol) and deputy Ulysses Gomes (PT) – which provided for the redistribution of resources from the FEM for FEAS.
Essentially, the amendment aimed to distribute the fund’s resources among the 853 municipalities in Minas Gerais to pay for equipment and social assistance actions. The money could be used by city halls in support policies at Social Assistance Reference Centers (Cras), sheltering women victims of violence and children in situations of social vulnerability, food security programs and assistance to the homeless population, among others.
However, in January this year, Zema vetoed the amendment, going against the previous agreement made with the opposition. In an interview with State of Minasdeputy Bella Gonçalves questioned the governor’s decision, stating: “The fund is of central importance to guarantee budget for strategies to combat poverty. Without it, we have more domestic violence. We have more people on the streets…”
According to her, after the breach of the agreement, municipalities, parliamentarians and civil society have demonstrated against the governor’s decision. This was evidenced during a public hearing last month. “In these conversations, there is great dissatisfaction among the government base regarding its relationship with the municipalities. Anyone who knows the situation in municipalities knows what we are talking about here; half of them don’t even have daycare centers. They do not have social protection equipment. This also happens in big cities.”
It is important to remember that during the debate on the governor’s proposal, still in 2023, there was intense disagreement, especially pointing out that the State was not fulfilling the purposes of the resources and violating the legislation. The opposition even denounced that the money was, in fact, being allocated for other purposes.
The government argues that this is not the case. According to the Minas Gerais Executive, the amendment was vetoed only because it allocated the funds directly to the municipalities. For the Executive, this would be a violation, as the government already has a group coordinating the funds, made up of representatives of public authorities and public policy advisors, including the State Social Assistance Council.
On the occasion, Governor Romeu Zema presented and obtained approval of a project to charge an additional 2% of ICMS (Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services) on products considered superfluous, such as beer and cell phones, among others. In response and in agreement with the government, state deputies also unanimously approved an amendment to the 2024 Annual Budget Law – authored by deputy Bella Gonçalves (Psol) and deputy Ulysses Gomes (PT) – which provided for the redistribution of resources from the FEM for FEAS.
Essentially, the amendment aimed to distribute the fund’s resources among the 853 municipalities in Minas Gerais to pay for equipment and social assistance actions. The money could be used by city halls in support policies at Social Assistance Reference Centers (Cras), sheltering women victims of violence and children in situations of social vulnerability, food security programs and assistance to the homeless population, among others.
However, in January this year, Zema vetoed the amendment, going against the previous agreement made with the opposition. In an interview with State of Minasdeputy Bella Gonçalves questioned the governor’s decision, stating: “The fund is of central importance to guarantee a budget for strategies to combat poverty. Without it, we will have more poverty.”
Bella Gonçalves was a councilor in the capital between 2018 and 2022
Guilherme Bergamini/ALMG
“In these conversations, there is great dissatisfaction among the government base regarding its relationship with the municipalities. Anyone who knows the situation in municipalities knows what we are talking about here; half of them don’t even have daycare centers. They do not have social protection equipment. This also happens in big cities.”
state deputy Bella Gonçalves
According to her, after the breach of the agreement, municipalities, parliamentarians and civil society have demonstrated against the governor’s decision. This was evidenced during a public hearing last month.
It is important to remember that during the debate on the governor’s proposal, still in 2023, there was intense disagreement, especially pointing out that the State was not fulfilling the purposes of the resources and violating the legislation. The opposition even denounced that the money was, in fact, being allocated for other purposes.
The government argues that this is not the case. According to the Minas Gerais Executive, the amendment was vetoed only because it allocated the funds directly to the municipalities. For the Executive, this would be a violation, as the government already has a group coordinating the funds, made up of representatives of public authorities and public policy advisors, including the State Social Assistance Council.
