05/25/2024 – 21:34
The Federal Senate is discussing establishing a special taxation regime that suspends the collection of federal taxes on reconstruction works on basic infrastructure affected by catastrophes recognized by the public authorities, as in the case of the floods in Rio Grande do Sul. The objective is to reduce the costs of enterprises that benefit populations affected by disasters.
Bill 1,649, authored by Senator Wilder Morais (PL-GO), also proposes to provide the same tax support for projects that are of relevant national interest. The text determines that non-taxation is conditional on the completion of the works and that the task of determining the state of catastrophe or whether the construction is of sufficient relevance for potential beneficiaries to be able to opt for the regime is the responsibility of the Executive branch or the National Congress. Special.
The project is in the Infrastructure Commission (CI) and awaits the appointment of the rapporteur. After passing through CI, the proposal goes to the Economic Affairs Committee (CAE) where it will be evaluated. Finally, if approved by the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Commission (CCJ) without recourse to a vote in the Plenary, the text goes directly to the Chamber of Deputies.
The proposal comes in the wake of the catastrophe that hit the State of Rio Grande do Sul, where floods affected around 2 million people in 441 municipalities, with 600,000 having to leave their homes and 71,000 staying in shelters. In a bulletin on Saturday night, the 25th, the Rio Grande do Sul Civil Defense reported that the death toll from the catastrophe reached 165, with 64 people still missing.
An initial calculation by the Rio Grande do Sul government estimated the amount needed to face the impacts of the floods at R$19 billion, which in addition to houses, businesses, agricultural areas, industries and other buildings, also destroyed part of the State’s infrastructure.
On the Federal Senate website, to justify the presentation of the project, Senator Wilder, in addition to citing climate catastrophes such as the one in Rio Grande do Sul, highlighted that Brazil is also affected by industrial tragedies. The parliamentarian recalled the case of the collapse of the Brumadinho and Mariana dams, in Minas Gerais, in which the cities were submerged in toxic mud from mining activities and had, in addition to their rivers polluted by waste, hundreds of deaths and destruction of houses and shops and other buildings.
“What happens in Rio Grande do Sul is not an isolated case. Climatic disturbances that generated heavy rain recently also occurred in the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais and São Paulo […] This proposal will contribute to the recovery of areas affected by catastrophes and to the execution of works of relevant national interest, taking into account the constitutional postulates of solidarity and national development.”
Senate debates catastrophe in Rio Grande do Sul
Next Monday, the 27th, the Federal Senate will hold a debate session in the house’s plenary session on the climate catastrophe that is hitting the state of Rio Grande do Sul. President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) is responsible for opening the event which will be attended by representatives from the federal government, the government of Rio Grande do Sul and the municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul affected by the floods.
The Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, and the Secretary of the Environment of Rio Grande do Sul, Marjorie Kauffmann, will also be present. Holding the debate meets a request from Senator Paulo Paim (PT-RS) who mentions the “scenes of war” seen in the State and the need for the powers of the Republic and state and municipal governments to unite to provide assistance to the victims.
The list of guests for the debate session, defined by the Temporary External Commission of Rio Grande do Sul, includes experts such as geologist Rogério Porto; climatologist Carlos Afonso Nobre; professor Mercedes Bustamante; Suely Araújo, representing the Climate Observatory; environmentalist and indigenous leader Ailton Krenak; and scientist Paulo Moutinho.
According to the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, 90% of the industry was affected by the floods. At the same time, there was a loss of a large part of the harvest and extensive arable areas remain flooded. In addition to R$50.9 billion in measures from the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the Senate approved the suspension of the State’s debt with the Union for three years.
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