Roraima and Goiás expose massive payroll loan deductions harming thousands of public employees

An audit by the Public Accounts Court of Roraima (MPC‑RR) uncovered serious irregularities in the state’s consigned credit‑card and benefit‑card scheme. The investigation found 4,120 public servants tied to 14,513 active contracts, with monthly payroll discounts totalling R$ 3.95 million and an estimated financial liability exceeding R$ 320 million. The cards were issued through a fintech partnership with interest rates of 4.5‑5.5% per month (effective annual cost 70‑90%), far higher than traditional payroll‑backed loans. The MPC‑RR recommended immediate suspension of new consigned deductions, termination of the fintech contract, revocation of the governing decree and referral of the case to civil police for possible institutional loan‑sharking.

A separate audit by the Tribunal de Contas do Estado de Goiás (TCE‑GO) revealed that more than 3,300 state employees had over 70% of their gross salaries consumed by loan and other payroll deductions, with 414 cases exceeding 90%. The audit highlighted that 41% of the affected workers were members of the Military Police, followed by the Education Secretariat and the Civil Police. Nearly 60% of Goiás public servants hold at least one consigned loan, accounting for 287,152 active operations and roughly R$ 157 million in disbursements. The state government has begun corrective actions, adjusting or temporarily suspending excessive deductions and urging employees to renegotiate contracts with lenders.