Brasília, June 30, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Last year, the Federal Government spent R$ 23 billion on retirement benefits to former civil servants, while health received R$ 22.2 billion, education, R$ 14.1 billion, and labor, R$ 8.2 billion. This information was provided on Friday (27) by the Minister of Social Security, Ricardo Berzoini, who participated in the II National Encounter of PT (Workers Party) City Councillors and State Assemblymen, in Brasília. "The discrepancy among investments is unsustainable. Social Security needs to be revised, in order to allocate more funds to social policies," the Minister asserted.
He guaranteed that the social security reform is constitutional, since its respects the acquired rights of retirees and, at the same time, redeems the country's social security deficit. The federal government estimates that, if the reform is approved as is, it will be possible to save around R$ 20 billion in seven years. "It is unjust to maintain a system for a privileged few," Berzoini said.
In 2002, the Social Security system distributed R$ 61 billion to public servants and R$ 88 billion to beneficiaries of the National Social Security Institute (INSS). Nevertheless, 3.2 million benefits were paid to public sector recipients, while 17.5 million went to INSS recipients. "The changes are intended to make the benefits paid to public sector recipients compatible with the contributions they make, as is already the case with the INSS," Berzoini added.
As regards the matter of age, he claimed that it is necessary to maintain the difference in retirement ages between men and women, as the reform proposal envisions. The Minister explained that women from less favored classes need this benefit, because they frequently have to work the equivalent of as many as three shifts daily. "Brazilian women are very hard-working, and, therefore, when they get older, they have to be spared from working," he affirmed.
In order to obtain approval for the reform in the National Congress, Berzoini asked for the PT's engagement. "We need an organized party to guide the policies of Lula's Administration better." (DAS)
