Carlos Eduardo Xavier explains that everything is still in the initial stages and needs approval from the governor so that it can moves forward.
“We have a project that we are still finalizing and needs approval from the governor to be sent to the Legislative Assembly. It is something that will generate revenue for the State, it is spreading in the Brazilian states, and we should forward it to the Assembly in the second half of the year,” explained Xavier.
The project for a lottery in Rio Grande do Norte should be added to other initiatives for fiscal rebalancing in the State, such as the well-known Fiscal Recovery Program (Refis) submitted to the Legislative Assembly.
The Secretary of Finance believes in the possibility of this project generating revenue for Rio Grande do Norte this year, but recognizes some difficulty for this to happen, given the bureaucratic needs of processing in the Assembly and even the phases prior to this, that is, the presentation of the bill, and the internal approval of the state, in the person of governor Fátima Bezerra.
State lotteries are active in several Brazilian states, such as Tocantins, Rio de Janeiro, Sergipe and Roraima, among others. Rio Grande do Sul started the regulation in August, and the bill awaits analysis by the Legislative Assembly.
The activity of lotteries in the Federation units, however, is something recent. After decades of legal impediment, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) unanimously decided in September 2020 that the exploitation of lotteries is no longer exclusive to the Union. The Court overturned the federal monopoly for the exploitation of lotteries, provided for in a decree of 1967.
In São Paulo, law 17.386/21, which created the state lottery, aims to fund actions for social assistance and the reduction of social vulnerability in the State. One example is the ‘Bolsa do Povo’ program, also approved by the São Paulo Assembly, which includes 18 assistance actions, such as ‘Vale Gás’ and ‘Bolsa Empreendedor’.
In Tocantins, it is the source of funds destined for public policies in the areas of sports, hospital and road infrastructure, in addition to investments in the area of information technology and in projects of the Partnerships and Investments Program.
Source: GMB
