At a press conference, Márcio Macêdo, Chief Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, confirmed that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party) intends to take the proposal to tax the world's super-rich to the G20 summit.
“Lula is proposing that the G20 discuss the fight against hunger, poverty and inequality plus another debate on new global governance… If we tax the super-rich at 2%, which means nothing to them, it generates a potential resource that can end the hunger of 350 million hungry people worldwide. Part of this could be used to set up a fund for environmental reparation and mitigation, with policies that can positively affect the people who live in the forests,” said the minister.
The heads of state and government of the world's 19 largest economies, the European Union and the African Union will debate the issue at the G20 summit, which will take place on November 18 and 19 in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Last February, during the meeting of the group's finance ministers and central bank presidents, Brazil delivered a document to the countries that will soon take part in the summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Six-day work week
During the interview, Macêdo was asked about the government's position on the Proposed Constitutional Amendment (PEC, in Portuguese) that calls for the end of the six-day work week in Brazil, popularly known as “escala 6×1”. “We're very focused on the G20, so when they call us to discuss this [the end of the six-day work week], we'll look into it,” said Macêdo.
“It's essential that social movements, progressive parliamentarians and the people have this debate. We are living through a period of the advance of the far right in the world, a confrontation in society of the ideas of fascism against the civilizing values of humanity… It is very healthy that progressive agendas can be at the Congress, on factory floors, on the streets and squares of our country,” Macêdo concluded.
