Once answered, agribusiness tends to approve an opinion

Heeded, agribusiness tends to approve opinion

Inclusion of meat in the free food basket is a flag for the bench

By Marcelo Ribeiro, Raphael Di Cunto, Beatriz Olivon and Guilherme Pimenta — From Brasília

Despite the irritation with the decision of the tax reform regulatory working group not to include meat and other products, such as cheese, in the basic basket with zero rate, the agribusiness sector was met with other demands, such as the exclusion of the integrated rural producer's revenue ceiling to continue with presumed credit.

The concessions to ruralists support the confidence of GT members that the group led by Pedro Lupion (PP-PR) will not impose so many difficulties in advancing the proposal in plenary next week.

On the eve of the presentation of the opinion by the GT, the president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), took a public stance against the inclusion of meat in the basic food basket, which inflamed parliamentarians from the ruralist bench. Lupion countered criticism that the bench would be responsible for an increase in the general tax rate, by defending the inclusion of meat in the basic food basket. "We will not accept this under any circumstances. Our concern is with the entire sector", said Lupion in a meeting with supporters.

To allies, the man from Paraná stated that non-inclusion would have the potential to impose behavior from the bench to resist the smoother progress of the matter. Despite these signs, members of the GT believe that ruralists will not take this stance, as they benefit from other points of the proposition.

“If you are not satisfied, you can present highlights and we will resolve it in the vote”, said a member of the panel.

The lawyer and consultant at Instituto Pensar Agropecuária (IPA) Eduardo Lourenço, an entity linked to the bench, admits that the text presented by the GT improved in some points. He highlights, however, that other changes are necessary so that the sector is not harmed. "There is room for this. For example, adjustments must be made [in] the size of the basic basket, correct treatment of tax credits and the concept of agricultural inputs and products, not to mention the selective tax."

But these claims must be discussed directly in the plenary. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva published in an extra edition of the “Official Gazette of the Union” a request for urgent processing. Members of the working group are also collecting signatures for this purpose, so that the tax reform regulation proposal does not have to go through the House's thematic committees.