The Ministry of Culture in Brazil has reported a significant increase in the analysis of accounts related to funding processes in 2025, marking a record year in processing and reducing backlog.
The Brazilian Ministry of Culture (MinC) has announced a record achievement in the analysis of financial reports related to cultural funding processes in 2025, specifically under the Rouanet Law and other funding methods. The ministry, which faced criticism in previous years for the accumulation of pending cases, reported that it completed over 11,000 financial assessments in the past year; this is approximately double the number from 2024 and exceeds the totals from the terms of former presidents Michel Temer and Jair Bolsonaro combined.
Despite this achievement, the number of pending accounts to be analyzed still remained high, ending the year with 10,077 cases, which, although lower than in previous years, signifies that 24% of cases are still awaiting resolution, the lowest percentage since 1998. The backlog in account submissions has been among the top challenges for Minister Margareth Menezes's administration, highlighting ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency within the ministry.
In 2024, the Federal Court of Accounts had highlighted that the MinC was struggling with a backlog of 26,000 projects from the Rouanet Law, indicating a significant governance issue. The improved performance in 2025 could suggest a shift in the ministry's approach to handling these reports, potentially having positive implications for cultural funding and oversight in Brazil moving forward, as timely evaluations of accounts might encourage more organizations to engage with the funding processes.
