Chamber approves Vale Gás Social for low-income families

The House of Representatives approved, last Wednesday (29), a proposal to establish social assistance for gas to support the price of cooking gas for low-income families. The question of establishing Vale Gás continues for analysis by the Federal Senate.

The provision states that the Department of Citizenship has 60 days to regulate the criteria to determine which families will be covered, the frequency of entitlement, the activation of the benefit and the method of payment, and whose premiums cannot exceed 60 days. . According to the text, the executive authority will be empowered to pay the assistance directly to the beneficiary families in the method of income transfer.

This guarantees a monthly benefit to families registered in the Individual Registry of Social Programs (CadÚnico), with the individual’s monthly household income less than or equal to half the minimum wage or among its members a person receiving a continuous benefit (BPC). Credits may be granted by electronic card or other means provided for in the regulations.

According to the bill, the first source of funds to ensure the measure is a portion of royalties and private participation generated from oil and natural gas exploration, which is the responsibility of the union. According to the rapporteur, Representative Cristiano Orio (PP-RJ), the price of gas was affected, among other factors, by the depreciation of the riyal against the dollar.

“LPG, which is affected by the price formation associated with a barrel of oil, Brent crude, and the change in the exchange rate, in some places reaches a value of R$120, which is unbearable for families in general, and more specifically for the families that make up CadÚnico and even More specifically for the portion of families living in extreme poverty,” he said.

The parliamentarian also highlighted that cases of tragedies were frequently reported with people using means such as alcohol and coal instead of gas to prepare meals. A survey conducted by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) indicated that the average price of cooking gas in the third week of September was R$98.70.

“The news every week has brought disasters happening inside homes due to the use of insufficient or safe cooking facilities, such as alcohol, coal and firewood, in most communities and in rural areas,” MP Cristiano Oero said.

*With information from Agência Brasil

October 3, 2021 6:47 PM