Congress approves project that releases credit of BRL 300 million for gas vouchers in December

Congress approved this Friday (17) a project that opens credit of R$ 300 million to fund the gas allowance in December. The benefit is granted to low-income families every two months and must correspond to at least half the average price of a 13 kg cylinder.

The bill was approved in a symbolic vote in the Chamber and Senate.

In the message sent to Congress to justify the opening of credit, the government says that the amount will benefit around 5.5 million families. The help totals R$ 283.4 million, while operating costs are around R$ 16.6 million.

To reach the amount of BRL 300 million, the government proposed the cancellation of BRL 230 million in unemployment insurance and BRL 70 million in the fiscal contingency reserve.

Regarding the canceled schedules, the government says that there will be no loss in execution, as the relocations were decided based on projections of spending possibilities until the end of the year and which are included in the Primary Revenue and Expenditure Assessment Report for the 5th bimester.

​To estimate the benefit to be granted, the government presented a calculation in which the average value of the cylinder is R$ 102.48.

Starting next year, according to the government, the program will allow the gradual entry of more families. The expectation is that all beneficiaries of the Auxílio Brasil Program will be assisted by September 2023.

The creation of the gas valley was sanctioned by President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) at the end of November.

The “Gas allowance for Brazilians” law determines that families enrolled in the CadÚnico (Single Registry for Social Programs) with a monthly per capita family income less than or equal to half the minimum wage can be benefited.

Families that have among their members who receive the BPC (Continued Cash Benefit) can also receive assistance.

The transfer, according to the bill, should preferably be granted to families with women victims of domestic violence who are under monitoring of urgent protective measures. Payment of the benefit will preferably be made to the woman responsible for the family.

The gas voucher will be calculated based on the average price of the last six months.

The sanctioned law originated in a project by deputy Carlos Zarattini (PT-SP). The text seeks to minimize the effect of gas prices on the budget of low-income families.

In the year, the average price of a 13-kilogram cylinder rose by more than 30%. The scenario has led low-income families to opt for firewood or charcoal for cooking.

The government will use the Auxílio Brasil structure to operationalize the payments. The sanctioned text must still be regulated. There is no mention of the start date for payments. The program will run for five years.

At the end of September, Petrobras informed that it will invest R$300 million in a social program to guarantee the purchase of cooking gas by families in a socially vulnerable situation.

According to the state-owned company, the program is still in the study phase and should contribute to access to essential inputs, with a focus on gas.