Brazil’s President says pandemic aid payments could vary in value

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday, March 5th, said that emergency payments to aid the poor in the pandemic could vary from R$150 to more than R$300 (US$26.36-$52.72), while a plan being considered in Congress provides for cash transfers of R$250.

“We made an agreement, if I’m not mistaken, of R$42 billion for four months of installments of R$250, on average,” he told supporters outside his official residence.

“Why on average? There’s a story of a single mother or I don’t know what, so it will vary from R$150 to 300 and a bit.”

The Senate approved the plan for four months of payments of R$250 each on Thursday. The proposal is set for a vote in the lower house next week.

Brazil’s previous program of emergency payments, which expired in December, cost the government some R$322 billion but is credited for a less severe-than-expected economic contraction of 4.1% in 2020.