Brazil guarantees police overtime pay during Rio Olympics

Brazil's federal government will pay for extra hours worked by military police during the Olympic Games in August to ensure security is not compromised by Rio de Janeiro's financial crisis, Justice Minister Alexandre Moraes said.

Funds will be provided by the government's additional service regime (RAS), Moraes told the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper on Friday.

The announcement came just hours after Rio state's interim governor, Francisco Dornelles, decreed a state of "public calamity", reports Xinhua.

He warned Rio faces "total collapse" as soaring public spending coincides with a sharp drop in tax revenue from the struggling local industry.

Brazil's military police fall under the authority of state governments, which are also responsible for their budgets.

According to Moraes, details of how much will be allocated from the RAS will be determined when the Olympic security plan is announced on June 21.

Brazil plans to deploy around 85,000 soldiers and police during the Olympics, roughly double the number used at the London 2012 Games.

Earlier this year, Rio's state government cut $ 550 million from its Olympic security budget, but denied the move posed a risk to safety.

--IANS

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