Brazilian state governors call for minimum income amid pandemic

Source: Xinhua| 2020-03-26 14:10:14|Editor: huaxia

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian state governors on Wednesday called on the federal government to adopt minimum income for citizens amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Several states have established quarantine and isolation measures. Many people who have informal jobs are unable to work from home and thus lost all their incomes.

The governors, who held a nationwide meeting on Wednesday, called for a 2005 law establishing minimum income for all citizens to take effect.

The law, signed by then President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, stipulates that citizens should receive a minimum income to cover their basic expenses on food, education and healthcare.

In addition, the governors called for a 12-month suspension of the payment of state debts, as well as credit lines at the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) to finance improvement of the public healthcare system. 

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