The use of public resources to return the values deducted from INSS (National Social Security Institute) retirees and pensioners is causing concern in the Lula government. The debate on how to explain to the public the use of Treasury money to compensate the victims of fraud has marked two tense meetings that preceded an interview on Thursday (8) at the Planalto Palace. In an atmosphere of discord, the head of the Secom (Presidential Communications Secretariat), Sidônio Palmeira, even made an appeal for convergence. The government's concern is that the narrative prevails that the loss will fall on the taxpayer, while the possibility of forming queues of elderly people at INSS agency doors is another source of unease. As reported by Folha, the government is studying using budget money for restitution. To accelerate the compensation to victims, the idea is for the Executive to bear at least part of the expenses and seek future reimbursement from fraudulent entities. According to the investigation by the Federal Police and the CGU (General Comptroller's Office), unauthorized deductions in INSS pensions and benefits gained strength from 2019, during Jair Bolsonaro's presidency, and reached billions of reals from 2023, during Lula's third term. The restitution will depend on proof that the deduction was made without the beneficiary's authorization. The news that this is a solution being studied irritated the president's collaborators. On Wednesday (7), during the first preparatory meeting for the interview, the executive secretary of the Civil House, Miriam Belchior, complained that the information had reached the press. As soon as she entered the meeting, she also told the Finance Minister, Dario Durigan, that he had admitted using resources from the PAC (Growth Acceleration Program) and emendments for replenishment. The INSS president, Gilberto Waller Júnior, said he had not mentioned this hypothesis in his interview the previous day about the restitution plan. During a meeting with a group that included ministers, technicians, and advisors, Miriam asked if he had read the newspapers. Miriam also interrupted Waller Júnior when he suggested that, in addition to phone and app, Correios agencies be made available for retirees to report unauthorized deductions in their benefits. Miriam, according to reports, rejected the idea of retirees forming queues at agency doors. She also recommended not taking the ongoing investigations into consignments to the interview. Although they pointed out the uncertainty over values and restitution schedule as a problem, the meeting participants agreed on the need for an interview, even in response to opposition criticism. From Russia, where he is on an official visit, Lula is following the developments in the case. In the morning of Thursday, hours before the meeting, the head of the Civil House, Rui Costa, entered the preparatory meeting asking who had told the president that the deductions had not been interrupted. The Minister of Social Security, Wolney Queiroz, presented himself. He reported that he had explained to Lula that the deductions occurred due to a lack of time to suspend the system, but the money had not reached the entities and would be returned to the beneficiaries. He said he had reaffirmed to the president that the monthly association fees deducted from pensions and benefits in April would be returned in the May payment. Costa claimed that the president is busy and may be upset by receiving fragmented information during his activities. The Attorney General of the Union, Jorge Messias, suggested that only one emissary be sent to report to Lula on the case's progress. After this meeting, which took place in Sidônio's office, Wolney, Messias, Waller, and the head of the CGU, Vinícius de Carvalho, gave a press conference, without advancing on dates and necessary amounts for restitution. Standing next to the table, Sidônio accompanied the interview. Just before the end and immediately after the Vatican's white smoke, the publicist whispered to Messias. The minister concluded his last response, reiterating that all efforts to restore the money to INSS beneficiaries will be made.
https://jornaldebrasilia.com.br/noticias/politica-e-poder/uso-de-dinheiro-publico-para-ressarcimento-a-aposentados-do-inss-vira-foco-de-tensao-no-planalto/