Brasília, 3/9/2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Government income tax (Receita Federal) personnel are threatening to go on strike tomorrow. The workers say they want better equipment and personnel so that "the country can have social justice through fiscal justice." They complain that tax fraud is going unpunished because they cannot efficiently track it down.

Another problem is low salaries. It is reported that over the last 10 years more than 4,000 tax experts have left government work because of low pay. The leader of the Receita Federal worker's union says that their idea is to increase revenue by netting more tax fraud. As a result the government would not have to take money from other areas to pay IRS personnel more.

"Our strike threat is a warning. We want a better country. That will only be possible with more investment in the Receita Federal," says the union leader. (AB)