RIO DE JANEIRO, March 26 (NNN-Xinhua) — Brazilian state governors 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.
