Seventy pct of Brazilians reject cap on federal spending: poll

A new poll released Tuesday showed that 70 percent of the population in Brazil are opposed to a stringent cap on the federal government's annual spending increases to the rate of inflation for the next 20 years.

The poll, called by the Central Union of Workers (CUT), showed only 19 percent of Brazilians are in favor of the measure, 6 percent undecided, and 5 percent who did not answer.

This spending cap is one of the flagship measures that were proposed by the government of President Michel Temer to rein in public expenditure and bring the country's finances under control.

The measure was approved by the Chamber of Deputies on Oct. 10. However, it still requires another supermajority vote in the lower house before being sent to the Senate for final approval, which is expected by the year end.

The measure established that federal government spending cannot be increased for the next 20 years, except for a defined limit based on the previous year's inflation index.

PEC 241, as the proposal is known, has sparked alarm among opponents who believed healthcare and educational budgets would be severely impacted.

The project would set the minimum retirement age at 65 and after 25 years of contributions. Endit