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Users are worried about the future of the Federal Vale-gás program. This concern has solid foundations. The Provisional Measure (MP) that establishes the creation of the additional amount for the social project is about to expire. If the National Congress does not approve the MP by the end of this week, the program could suffer a 50% cut in its value.
Unofficial information indicates that government allies are seriously concerned about the situation. So far, there is no set date for the vote on the provisional measure, which includes additional payments for the national gas voucher. The provisional measure needs to be voted on in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate.
Two alternatives for the government
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Based on unofficial information, it can be stated that the government is considering two possible outcomes for the situation.
Two alternatives for the government
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Scenario 1
The Federal Government's first option is to continue fighting for the approval of the MP in the National Congress until the end of the deadline. This would be the most advantageous scenario for the Executive. In an interview, the government leader in Congress, Senator Randolfe Rodrigues, stated that he believes he will be able to approve the MP by the end of this week.
“Our mission, our commitment, our dedication is to deliver it to the President of the Republic by Thursday. I, the leader of the government in the Senate, Jaques Wagner, the leader of the government in the Chamber, José Guimarães, and the entire political coordination of the government are committed to this. The priority is the delivery of the MPs,” he declared.
Scenario 2
However, members of the Federal Government recognize internally the real possibility of the document not being approved within the officially established deadline. Therefore, allies of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) are preparing a plan B to be implemented if the provisional measure is successful.
The proposal is to maintain the additional National Gas Aid through a decree. This way, citizens would not have to receive less if the provisional measure is not approved. However, this option could be risky, as the opposition could argue that there is a potentially illegal legal maneuver on the part of the Federal Government.
Understanding the legal problem
The situation is complex and quite unprecedented in the National Congress. The section that establishes the creation of the additional National Gas Voucher was included by the Federal Government in the original text of the Bolsa Família Provisional Measure.
The Bolsa Família MP is not expected to expire this week, but only at the end of next June. On the other hand, the part of the MP that creates an additional amount for the national gas voucher will expire on June 1st. Therefore, there are a variety of different opinions on what to do in situations like this.
What was the additional national gas voucher like?
Originally, the text that creates the Vale-gás program establishes that the Federal Government must always pay 50% of the national average price of a 13-kilo gas cylinder, a rate defined by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP).
As amended by the MP
Last year, the National Congress allowed the Federal Government, then led by former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), to increase this payment rate to 100% of the national average price of a gas cylinder. This new rule would be valid until December, and that is what happened.
Upon assuming the presidency, Lula (PT) decided to publish a provisional measure on the subject. In this document, he determined that the government would continue to pay 100% of the average price of a gas cylinder. A provisional measure becomes law as soon as it is published, but it must be approved by the National Congress within a period of up to four months.
How can it be
If the National Congress approves the provisional measure, the document will officially become law. If it is not approved, the national gas voucher will return to its previous format, with the government paying 50% of the average price of a gas cylinder.
