Doria says that ‘gasoline at the Ipiranga gas station has run out’ when presenting an economic campaign committee

Pre-candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, Governor João Doria (PSDB-SP) presented this Thursday (16) the first four names of the economic committee of his campaign. He classified the team members as a powerhouse of economic talent, which will elaborate proposals focused on ending hunger, reducing poverty and increasing employment.

The team will be formed by Henrique Meirelles (current secretary of Doria), Ana Carla Abrão, Zeina Latif and Vanessa Rahal Canado. The governor’s expectation is to incorporate into the team two more names that still depend on the release of their current employers to officially join the group.

“Brazil has already understood that the gasoline at the Ipiranga gas station has run out. We will not have an Ipiranga service station, we will have a plant of economic talent,” stated the governor in a reference to the nickname given by the current President of the Republic to minister Paulo Guedes (Economy).

“The Project Brasil is starting to be born today, with these people, with these talents, the best way to create opportunities for all Brazilians.”

Formed by specialists with a liberal bias, the four highlighted their concern with the social aspect of the proposals that will be drawn up on several occasions. They also said they had a convergence of thought.

When asked about the Precatório PEC — which opened a hole in the spending ceiling —, for example, they stated that it is necessary to reverse the default on these debts, a position shared by the governor.

Meirelles stated that the basis of the proposals is the current experience of the São Paulo government, which he classified as a liberal program with social actions and concerns or a social program with a liberal economic structural base.

Zeina Latif said that the Brazilian economy is stagnant and that it is necessary to resume growth, but that there is not a “silver bullet”, but a series of actions that will be proposed.

“There are several fronts. Several public policies need to be reassessed to promote more growth and equal opportunities, and with each one of us in society making a sacrifice. We have a society that has to contribute to this process.”

Vanessa Canado, a specialist in the tax area, stated that the design of public policies needs to go beyond the economic issue and have a positive impact on the country’s growth.

Co-author of a proposal for administrative reform, Ana Carla Abrão stated that taking the country out of the crisis also requires a more efficient state. “[Um Estado] bigger or smaller, that’s not the discussion. It is a state that meets our needs.”

Regarding the Precatório PEC, the speech was that it is important to make a social program, but with fiscal responsibility.

“I think it’s healthy for it to be reviewed. It’s important to keep the commitment with the payment of court orders,” stated Zeina.

“There is no chance of maintaining the PEC dos Precatório. None. Zero. It is a measure of fiscal irresponsibility, political irresponsibility and unconstitutional. It is necessary to establish a sensible reduction in the dimension of poverty, misery and hunger in Brazil, but it is not with the breaking of the spending ceiling,” said Doria.

Meirelles stated that it is not productive to spend on social programs if the economic program, mainly due to a lack of fiscal discipline, destroys jobs and income.

Ana Carla classified the proposal approved by the Congress of electoral PEC. “The review of this issue is fundamental. In relation to Auxílio Brasil, what we need to understand is that transfer programs such as Bolsa Família are fundamental, but they need to be disconnected from absolutely populist actions.”

Asked about the latest election polls, Doria said he trusted the surveys, but said that qualitative polls from three contracted companies show that only from May onwards will the population begin to think about the elections.

For now, he said, only politicians, journalists and “Faria Lima” are concerned with this issue, an expression used as a synonym for the financial market.

“Research does not yield an election result. Until May, the changes will not be profound. As of May, the population starts thinking about the election. Today, they are concerned about health and employment.”

Former Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles, who holds the area’s portfolio in the São Paulo state government, will be the group’s spokesperson.

Economist Ana Carla Abrão was secretary of the Fazenda de Goiás from 2015 to 2016, where she gained fame as organizer of the public machine. She is a civil servant at the Central Bank, where she worked, and before going to Goiás, she was at Tendências consulting and at Itaú. Since 2017, he has been head of the Oliver Wyman office in Brazil.

Zeina Latif is another well-known name in the market, considered one of the most influential economists in the country. In 2012, she joined Gibraltar Consultoria, where she is today, and in 2014 she joined XP Investimentos, where she was chief economist.

Vanessa Rahal Canado is the least known name among the team’s general public. She was the special advisor to the minister Paulo Guedes (Economics) for the tax area, having worked on all the main projects of the government’s tax reform.