Proposals for the creation of federative units in Brazil are currently under discussion and in different stages of processing in the National Congress. The creation of 18 new states and three new federal territories were officially proposed, which would bring the total number of federative units to 48. The region with the largest number of federative units would be the North region, while the South region would be the only one with a new federative unit. The states with the most advanced stage of creation are Gurgueia and Maranhão do Sul both in the Northeast region.
With a view to organizing and accelerating the debate and procedures in Congress, the Parliamentary Front on the Creation of New States and Territories was installed in 2003, on the initiative of federal deputies Ronaldo Dimas (PSDB -TO) and Sebastião Madeira (PSDB- MA). According to the proposal, this would be a mechanism to conduct the country's territorial division as a way of reducing socioeconomic inequalities and favoring the development of regions least assisted by the Public Power. The idea is to follow the successful example of the state of Tocantins. Projects in the North region were also submitted to the Amazon, National Integration and Regional Development Commission (CAINDR). If the projects are approved in Congress, the next step is to conduct a plebiscite among the residents of each state, with the coordination of the Superior Electoral Court. If approved at the polls, the proposal is forwarded to the Palácio do Planalto, so that the President of the Republic can send a complementary bill to Congress proposing the creation of the new unit.
The arguments unfavorable to the creation of new units focus on high costs, and, according to the artifice, they have political motivations. Tocantins, for example, cost the national coffers around R$1.2 billion. If all new units are approved, the total cost could reach R$20 billion. Expenses are generated by the installation of a seat of government, a legislative assembly, state secretariats, among others. In addition to the installation cost, it also creates an annual expense between salaries and costs that reaches R$30 million for each new state. Senators from each unit would also have an additional cost of R $150,000 in annual salaries alone.