Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said Monday that there will be no money to pay for civil workers’ salaries by 2024 if the social security system reform is not approved now.
According to the president, the country is without money and “cannot advance much for lack of resources.”
“Brazil cannot continue to carry this burden. If we do not make the reform, by 2022, 2023, 2024 at most, there will not be any money to pay federal workers,” he said.
The government proposed a social security reform bill earlier this year, but the proposal is deeply controversial and the government is facing significant resistance. As a constitutional amendment, the bill requires a majority of two thirds in both the House and Senate to pass.
Critics worry that far from combating privilege, the bill places heavy burden over poorer workers. Under the proposed regulations, Brazilians will have to work for a minimum of 40 years to retire with a full pension.
The reform also sets a minimum age of retirement of 65 for men and 62 for women. In some Brazilian states, life expectancy is not much higher than 65, which means that some workers might not live long enough to enjoy retirement.
