TCU denies INSS resources and union entities in process of fraud

The Federal Court of Audit (TCU) unanimously denied the appeals presented by the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) and union associations in the face of a judgment of last year that determined a series of obligations to avoid fraud in discounts to retirees and pensioners. The theme caused an intense discussion in the plenary, on Wednesday, 7, between ministers Walton Alencar Rodrigues and Aroldo Cedraz, rapporteur of the matter.

Rodrigues stated that the rapporteur needed to explain why the INSS process was taken from the agenda six times over the past few months. “The rapporteur needs to explain whether these retailers are justified because of the negotiations that were performed if he was the one who made these negotiations, who participated in these negotiations,” he said.

Requests of resources do not nullify the obligations given to the INSS. However, ministers Walton Alencar Rodrigues and Bruno Dantas explained in the plenary last week that, by procedural dynamics, the monitoring of the determinations made by the TCU was prevented. Dantas cited the rapporteur’s lack of order for the impediment.

Already at the session of Wednesday, 7, Minister Walton Rodrigues said that the process of appeal analysis “deserves an explanation for all Brazilian society”. The rapporteur Cedraz countered the criticism and stated that there was “maneuver” to withdraw his rapporteur.

He also denied that process involving INSS fraud should be tried for over a year. “The grievances were presented during the examination of the process in this house. I am absolutely quiet and calm with this malice to try at this time, add suspicions of unsuspected things,” said Cedraz.

Determinations

In the first half of 2024 the TCU inspection already pointed out that not all discounts in the INSS were authorized by the retirees. One of the measures in June 2024 was the determination for new association discounts to be made with advanced electronic signature and biometrics, or if there were confirmation of the existence of the documents required by the current norm.

The TCU determined that the INSS and the Social Security Technology and Information Company (Dataprev) implement, in 90 days, technological tool for advanced electronic signature and biometrics.

There were a number of other referrals made by the Court, including the need for automatic blocking for all new discounts, both payroll loans or associative tuition, for insured, regardless of the date of granting the benefit.