Social programs must be updated, experts say
Social policy, the field that projected Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva globally at the beginning of the century, is likely to change in the coming months. The income transfer, housing, and health programs are expected to resume characteristics of the Worker’s Party (PT) previous administrations but go through updates, experts say.Bolsa Família will have to undergo modifications to reduce poverty; the resumption of the housing program My Home My Life foresees regional diversification for low-income housing; and More Doctors is expected to have fewer foreign professionals than when it was created.Auxílio Brasil, the main cash-transfer program in place today, will undergo adjustments and operate again under the name Bolsa Família. Wellington Dias, Brazil’s minister of social development, family, and fight against Hunger, plans to make a detailed analysis to direct the benefit only to families that depend on it.On Monday, Mr. Dias said that the Bolsa Família re-registration will start with a priority group of 2.5 million households that, according to him, have more signs of fraud and irregularities."We are going to start with the 10 million that have evidence of being outdated or some irregularity. From this base, we have another focus that considers nearly 2.5 million families in which this indicator [of irregularity] is stronger. So, we will start with 2.5 million, then 10 million, then 21 million," he said.But, according to Marcelo Neri, director of the Social Policy Center at the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV Social), the new administration may have to do more."Lula will have to repeat a bit what he did in 2003, when he launched Fome Zero and, nine months later, changed the strategy to Bolsa Família, which brought together previous programs like Bolsa Escola. He had a fast-learning curve to put into practice a program that lasted 20 years," said Mr. Neri. "It wouldn’t be a Bolsa Família 2.0 because the Auxílio Brasil is a Bolsa Família 0.5, a step backward."Despite the increase in the benefit to R$600 from R$400, said Mr. Neri, Auxílio Brasil has design problems, such as being aimed at families regardless of the number of people, which is an incentive for the growth of one-person households."Lula has to reformulate the program in the same way he managed to make Fome Zero become Bolsa Família. If he keeps the design of the program as it is, it will not work," said Mr. Neri, adding that, according to his calculations, 55% of the funds are wasted...
Para continuar a ler
PEÇA SUA AVALIAÇÃO