The acting governor of Rio de Janeiro, Ricardo Couto, stated this Monday (9) that there is an expectation of recovering around R$ 1.4 billion of the resources that Rioprevidência, the pension fund for public servants in the state of Rio, invested in Banco Master. According to Ricardo Couto, the State of Rio invested more than R$3 billion in the financial institution. The acting governor participated this Monday, in Brasília, in a meeting with the Minister of Finance, Dario Durigan. After the meeting, he was questioned by journalists about RioPrevidência's relations with Master – a bank that was liquidated last year after a series of irregularities. The meeting with Durigan had other topics. "Today, we are estimating that the State of Rio will be able to recover around R$1.4 billion of what it spent. We made an estimate and it seems that the State of Rio de Janeiro had a contribution of more than R$3 billion, incredible as it may seem, but we are there with all possible efforts to recover", said the acting governor. Couto also stated that the state government has already adopted legal measures to seek reimbursement of the amounts. According to him, decisions favorable to the State have already been obtained. And part of the resources is blocked as a guarantee for possible compensation. As g1 showed, RioPrevidência's contributions to Banco Master grew 7 times in a year without committee approval from the entity's Investment Committee. Furthermore, RioPrevidência was the only shareholder in two investment funds linked to Banco Master, according to a representation from the Federal Police sent to the Federal Supreme Court (STF). According to the document, the funds in which RioPrevidência appears as the sole shareholder are Arena Fundo de Investimento em Renda Fixa Public Title and Horizonte I Fundo de Investimento Renda Fixa Longo Prazo. The PF states that the structure of these applications raises suspicions because the contributions occurred in newly created funds or with little track record, in the context of an investigation into Banco Master's role in raising resources from its own social security schemes (RPPS), such as funds for state and municipal employees. Debt In the meeting with Durigan, Ricardo Couto discussed the state's debt with the Union, which already reaches R$231 billion. Rio de Janeiro joined the Fiscal Recovery Regime (RRF) in 2017. An injunction from the Federal Supreme Court (STF), still in force, reduced the value of installments paid monthly by the state. Last month, the payment was R$270 million. With the decision expiring, scheduled for July, the installments would increase to R$436 million per month, which, according to the state government, would make the provision of essential public services unfeasible. At the end of last year, the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Alerj) approved a law that allows the state to join the State Debt Payment Program (Propag). By joining the program, the monthly debt installment would fall from R$436 million to R$119 million, which represents savings of R$4 billion per year. Interest rates are also lower and can reach zero. Given this scenario, the governor stated that the presentation of State assets to the Union is being discussed for better debt payment conditions. "The points we are taking are the prospect of having a credit recognized by the state government with Petrobras, the possibility of us using this credit with the Union, perhaps even to pay the debt, which could lead to an advance of 3 years for the first time, within the scope of this issue that involves the state of Rio and the Union", he said. "We would also have other perspectives there, such as issues involving interest rates, corrections, a series of things that we are seeing. And I think that by the end of the month, as mentioned, we would be signing and Rio de Janeiro will enter into another process thanks to the understanding we are having from the federal government", added the acting governor. Refit evasion The governor stated that he will participate, this Monday, in a meeting at the Ministry of Justice to discuss another topic: the future of the Refit land, the former Manguinhos Refinery. Couto said he is studying ways to expropriate the refinery land in Manguinhos — measuring around 600,000 square meters. The idea is to use the value of a possible sale to pay the company's debts to the public coffers. The Refit Group is identified as one of the biggest tax evaders in the country. The debt with the State already exceeds R$13 billion. The Refit crisis gained prominence in September 2025, when the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) banned the company, saying there were signs that it was a ghost refinery.