TCU: R$ 3 billion in undue payments for the fishing benefit
TCU audit points to R$ 3 billion in undue payments for the fishing benefit in 2024. Read on Gazeta do Povo
TL;DR
- TCU estimates up to R$ 3 billion in undue fishing benefit payments for 2024.
- Discrepancies found between federal government data and IBGE's artisanal fisherman census.
- 101.2 thousand benefits showed signs of irregularity, with a potential financial impact of R$ 654 million.
- Irregularities include beneficiaries with invalid CPF, formal employment, company ownership, and other social benefits.
- Weaknesses in the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture's registration system, relying on self-declaratory documentation.
- Official registry showed 1.1 million beneficiaries, while Pnad Contínua estimated 579.7 thousand eligible individuals.
- Significant increases in beneficiary registrations in Maranhão, Pará, and Amapá between 2019 and 2024.
- Benefit management was transferred to the Ministry of Labor and Employment in November 2025 with new verification requirements.
- TCU concludes there's no reliable estimate of the eligible population or robust mechanisms to prove fishing activity.