Extraordinarily, which came at dawn on Wednesday (18), the Brazilian Congress approved the Annual Budget Law (LOA) 2014. The proposal now goes to presidential approval.

The effort to approve the proposed budget began on the morning of Tuesday (17) with the discussion in the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) of the LOA final report, which was suspended for failing agreement. Lawmakers resumed the discussion at the beginning of the night, concluding the vote just before midnight.

As occurred at the JBC meeting, the plenary of the Congress also approved the Draft Law (PLN) 13/13 amending Multiyear Plan (PPA - Law 12.593/12) 2012-2015 miscellaneous items. According to the Bylaws, before voting on the budget, the PPA would have to be approved. With both approvals, lawmakers began voting session of the LOA.

The rapporteur, Mr Miguel Correa (PT- MG), thanked the efforts of lawmakers to approve the budget, but lamented what he called the 'lean recipe'. "We had a case related to the size of our country, but with a lean revenue, which means that the distribution of these values [had great weight in the stands", he said.

The total value of the Union Budget for 2014 is R $ 2.48 trillion. The total planned for next year, US$ 654.7 billion will be used to refinance the debt.

Minimum wage set to enter into force from January 1 next year is £724, up 6.6 % compared to the current minimum.

The amount reserved for fiscal, social security and investment of state enterprises, totaled R$ 1.8 trillion, of which R$ 105.6 billion for investment of federal enterprises and US$ 1.7 trillion for fiscal and social Security, of which R$ 100.3 billion had been allocated for Health (US$ 5.16 billion of these in individual and collective parliamentary amendments).

Educational resource prediction is R$ 82.3 billion. The Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) will receive R $ 61.7 billion.

The report raised public investment in R$ 900 million for next year and kept personnel costs. According to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) proposal was set at 3.8% and inflation measured by the National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) of 5.8 %.

Despite decline compared to last year , when it stood at 34.8 % of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), net debt remains at a high level, estimated at 33.9 % of GDP in 2014.

Mr Chico Alencar (SoL-RJ) criticized the amount earmarked for the payment of the public debt and defended an audit. "We need to review the design of the central budget piece that looks like it is a dogma and that means reduction of social investment. Therefore that the SoL vote against this conception of Budget, agreed eat large majority [of parliament], but that does not help a prospect of the country", he said.

Lawmakers also approved adding $100 million to the party fund, increasing to US$ 364.3 million the value expected for 2014. According to the legislation, most of the action (95%) of the fund is distributed according to the proportion of each party in the House and 5 % equally to all parties registered at the Superior Electoral Court.