Brazilian lawmakers introduced changes to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s proposed spending rules to include automatic penalties in case the administration is unable to meet fiscal goals set in the bill.

The government would be forced to reduce spending in case revenue comes in below its estimates, including delaying some payments, freezing the salary of public workers and halting the hiring of new ones, according to the text of the bill released on Tuesday by lawmaker Claudio Cajado, the bill’s rapporteur.

“Party leaders’ reaction to the new text is very positive,” Cajado told reporters, adding that the plan is to take the bill to a floor vote on May 24. “We made room for different opinions and I hope there will be no more changes to the bill.”

The new fiscal framework proposed by Finance Minister Fernando Haddad includes small but growing primary budget surpluses, which don’t take into account interest payments, in order to stabilize public debt. It’s part of government efforts to assuage investors worried about Brazil’s finances under Lula and to help the central bank lower interest rates, considered by the president as the main impediment to growth.

Eoin Treacy's view

Brazil was among the first to aggressively raise rates to ensure a positive real rate would counter inflationary pressures by sucking liquidity out of the economy.  Today that positive real rate stands at 9.57%.