House Speaker presses for government speed in Covid-19 bills

House Speaker Rodrigo Maia has urged the Jair Bolsonaro administration to speed up the sanctioning of bills already approved by Congress and pledged to move forward on proposals such as the suspension of job contracts in case the government doesn’t send its own projects. 

In a press conference, Mr. Maia complained about the government’s forecast to make the BRL 600 emergency voucher available to low-income families on April 16 at the earliest, saying the timetable “suggests that it’s not an emergency.” The bill in question was approved by the parliament in less than a week. 

Meanwhile, Economy Minister Paulo Guedes replied to Mr. Maia’s comments in a press conference moments later. “Matters of implementation are not easy,” he said.

“I ask you to understand that it is not easy putting money into the hands of 38 million people, of which 70 percent aren’t even registered.”

The speaker also said Congress is awaiting the government’s proposals on legislation that would allow companies to suspend employment contracts during the Covid-19 crisis, saying that if they don’t get it by Wednesday morning, the House will move ahead on its own.

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