Brazil ICT ministry lacking budget, staff

The Brazilian ministry of science, technology, innovations and communications (MCTIC) is struggling with harsh cuts in its funding and investments budget, as well as with a reduction of over 50% of its staff in the last five years.

That's according to MCTIC's deputy secretary, Elton Zacarias, who together with his boss, minister Gilberto Kassab, briefed congressmen on the activities the ministry on a public hearing this week.

The ministry's 2018 budget for funding and investment is at 3.9bn reais (US$1.1bn), of which 14% can still be frozen by the federal government as part of additional cost-cutting measures, said Zacarias. In 2013, the same budget was 9bn reais, or 2.5 times greater than the current amount.

Last year, the office had struggled with spending freezes and other budgetary restrictions.

According to the secretary, funding may get even scarcer in 2019 in light of the public spending cap.

In addition to the budget reduction, MCTIC is also working with limited personnel, with some 1,400 vacant positions through the ministry and its agencies.

"This deficit of analysts and technologists represents about 25% of the number of employees we have today, and we are suffering with the growth of pension payments. We have already requested the planning ministry a public call to fulfill those positions, but we have not yet received an answer," Zacarias said, according to the lower house news service.

Faced with the budget constraint, minister Kassab asked lawmakers to vote and approve a proposal to bar the freezing of sector funds from 2023.