The president previewed the measure on his social media channels and mentioned it again at the end of a live interview with TV Globo, during which he advocated for policies aimed at improving the living conditions of workers.

As he explained in his post, the resources to fund the initiative would come from parliamentary amendments—mechanisms through which lawmakers allocate public budget funds to specific projects and actions.

During the television interview, Lula argued that free transport would allow workers to make the most of their days off by spending time with family and visiting friends. He also highlighted other measures—already implemented or deemed necessary—to improve the population’s well-being, citing programs that provide Brazilian households with access to electricity and gas.

In the interview, the president also defended the continued adjustment of the minimum wage to outpace inflation, and credited his administration with restoring public services and expanding social programs.

Regarding the *Bolsa Familia* program, he stated that he had been unaware the benefit had not been adjusted during his current (third) term, describing the situation as inexplicable.

According to the head of state, this is why he announced a 15 percent increase to the program last September, which raised the minimum monthly benefit from 600 to 691 reais (from $119 to $137) and the average benefit from 675 to 777 reais (from $134 to $154).

The president also mentioned initiatives aimed at individual micro-entrepreneurs, including measures for debt renegotiation and financial support.

jdt/ga/mar