SP City Hall says it has started a course for new inspectors, but

The City of São Paulo (SP), under the management of Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB), announced on March 25 this year, on its official website, that 175 people approved for the position of inspector “are undergoing training to improve their knowledge about legislation and the inspection system”. However, the Brazil in fact found that none of those approved were called for training. They were not even appointed by the city hall.

The competition for municipal posture inspector – a position responsible for various types of inspection in the city – was opened in May last year and approved in February this year. According to the notice, the city hall has one year to call successful candidates after the results are approved, with a possible extension of up to another year. In other words, the administration has until, at most, February 2026 to call those approved.

The announcement that training is taking place for the 175 first placed in the competition generated anxiety. One of the approved people, who did not want to be identified, reported to the Brazil in fact who was not invited to any course and is awaiting appointment to the position. She also says that she is in contact with other successful candidates, who are in the same situation.

“We are eager to work, awaiting the appointment. But this publication from the city hall left us confused and made us create even more expectations, despite knowing the validity of the competition”, he said.

After Brasil de Fato’s questioning, the publication that announced the training of inspectors (read here) was modified. Below, you can see a print of the original text.

Publication on the page of the Secretariat of Subprefectures of the capital of São Paulo informed that the training of new inspectors was underway / Reproduction

The Union of Municipal Tax Inspectors, Survey Agents and Fiscal Support Agents of the Municipality of São Paulo (Savim) confirmed that the course, despite being ready to be taught and having been announced by the city hall, has not started nor is it scheduled to take place . According to the president of Savim, Mario Roberto Fortunato, the training of new professionals can only happen after Nunes’ signature authorizing the appointment.

“It’s fake news. The competition has been approved and we are waiting for the appointment. There is no date for the course, a date will only be given after a call from staff,” said Fortunato.

According to the same city hall publication, confirmed by the press office of the city’s Secretariat of Subprefectures (SMSub), today there are 325 civil servants in this category in São Paulo. Savim states that there are less than 300 employees working, as there were workers who have already retired or left their positions for other reasons.

Municipal Tax Inspectors

This is the first posture inspector competition in 21 years. The last time was in 2002, during Marta Suplicy’s administration, when workers were still officially appointed as “inspection agents”.

The category works to guide and monitor municipal regulations related to the Building, Zoning and Supply Code, in addition to being responsible for supervising civil construction works, such as installation and operating licenses.

Therefore, the municipality’s fiscal stance agent has the duty to, initially, advise the population regarding committed infractions. In the event of a repeat offense, the agent has the power to impose a fine, as explained by the vice-president of Savim, André Sahd.

“We live in society in an urban environment. When people commit crimes within established laws, it is the figure of the inspector who appears to correct them. So the agent, in addition to being an enforcer of the law, is also the controller of the environment urban. He plays the role of a conflict mediator in this environment. Therefore, with a lack of inspectors, the city becomes more chaos every day”, he stated.

In 1986, when the position was created in the municipality, there were around 1,200 vacancies, which at the time were not completely filled. This is the number that the union president considers ideal to cover the deficit of inspectors in São Paulo. In 2018, when the process to make the competition viable began, the idea was that 350 vacancies would be created.

When publishing the notice, however, it was announced that 175 vacancies would be filled, that is, half of the number initially planned. “In other words, the city hall is completely lost,” concludes Fortunato.

Furthermore, the City of São Paulo had announced that these future agents would be added to the fight against noise pollution in the city, as part of the Urban Silence Program (Psiu), which monitors infractions related to noise pollution.

However, it is not possible to know what the distribution of new inspectors would be without the appointment of positions, according to Savim. Those approved can be allocated to the 32 existing sub-prefectures in São Paulo.

In this context, the Public Ministry of the State of São Paulo sent a Letter to SMSub demanding an “update on the criteria for the distribution of new inspectors across the Capital’s Subprefectures and other aspects pertinent to the topic”. The department has until April 20 to respond.

Other side

When asked by the report about the course announced on the city hall’s website and which was already underway to train new professionals, SMSub only informed that “a public competition to hire 175 inspectors was held last year” and that “the process for the appointment of those approved is underway”.

Editing: Thalita Pires