Caixa Econômica Federal released R$ 1.8 billion in payroll-deductible loans to 700,000 beneficiaries of Auxílio Brasil and BPC (Benefício de Prestação Continuada) in three days of operation.
The average loan amount was around R$ 2,600, according to Daniella Marques, president of Caixa, at the press conference to launch the Caixa Pra Elas Empreendedoras action this Monday (17).
Marques said that there was “many attempted fraud in the program” in the first days of operation, without giving details on the subject, and stressed that the bank takes 48 hours to credit the funds to the beneficiary’s account.
Caixa began offering the new loan last Tuesday (11). The interest rate is 3.45% per month — just below the 3.5% per month ceiling set by the Ministry of Citizenship. The loan can be made in up to two years, in 24 successive monthly installments.
On the eve of the second round of the presidential elections, Caixa announced that it will release R$ 1 billion in credit to boost the formalization of women entrepreneurs who currently work in the market without CNPJ.
Those who are negative will also have access to credit of up to R$ 1,000, at an interest rate of 3.6% per month, as long as they go through the formalization process as MEIs (individual microentrepreneurs). The amount can be requested until November 19, World Women’s Entrepreneurship Day.
With the new action, Caixa expects to formalize one million women. In all, there are 30 million entrepreneurs in Brazil today, including Auxílio Brasil beneficiaries, autonomous and informal.
Women who receive Auxílio Brasil can formalize their ventures without losing the right to the benefit, said the president of Caixa, stressing that the two credit initiatives offered by the bank can be combined and are not mutually exclusive.
“They are complementary, who is accessing the payroll [Brasil]and the demand is huge, we want to use this action to support formalization, understanding that a good part of these resources are destined to buy goods today, but the business is informal”, he said.
“This is a support ramp to formalize and, once formalized, up front, you will have access to cheaper credit and will give breath to the business”, he added.
According to Caixa, the new initiative in partnership with Sebrae also aims to promote training and offer credit solutions.
The female population represents a portion of the electorate in which President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) finds resistance. Bolsonaro finished the first round behind Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and has used Auxílio Brasil as a trump card in his re-election campaign.
Asked about the new release of credit less than two weeks before the second electoral round, which will be on the 30th, Marques said he had “technical autonomy to exercise the presidency of the bank”.
The new initiative is part of a series of actions aimed at women announced by Marques since his inauguration in early July, after Pedro Guimarães resigned on charges of sexual harassment against bank employees.
In August, the bank launched the Caixa Pra Elas program, with the promise of welcoming actions, financial guidance and exclusive service for women in branches and other channels of the bank. By the end of the year, the expectation is that 4,000 Caixa branches will have this space.
Caixa announced, in September, the expansion of measures aimed at women, including lower credit rates, a pause in the payment of benefits in the event of maternity or adoption and exemption from part of the tariffs of public bank products.
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