06/08/2024 – 17:57
Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) said on Tuesday that the vote on the bill regulating consumption tax reform should only take place after the municipal elections in October.
The senator acknowledged that the electoral campaign period naturally reduces the quorum in Congress. Pacheco said he had no intention of putting controversial issues to a vote with a low attendance list, which would eliminate the right of many parliamentarians to debate in the plenary.
“Obviously there is a factor, which is the factor of this year’s municipal electoral process, which could make the progress of this assessment by the Federal Senate somewhat difficult,” the senator told journalists.
“We will discuss the regulation of tax reform over the next two months, but I believe it will be considered both by the CCJ and in the plenary after the municipal elections. That is my belief,” he said, adding that this is a complex issue that cannot be discussed in a “hasty” manner.
Earlier, the coordinator of the Senate working group to discuss the regulation of tax reform, Izalci Lucas (PL-DF), presented his work plan to the Senate’s Economic Affairs Committee (CAE), expecting to present his opinion on October 22. This year’s municipal elections are scheduled for October 6 (first round) and October 27 (second round).
The idea, according to the coordinator, is to hold a series of public hearings to prepare his report. Afterwards, he will present his suggestions to the project’s rapporteur in the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ), Senator Eduardo Braga (MDB-AM).
The regulation of the central axis of the tax reform on consumption was approved by the Chamber of Deputies in July, including a lock for the rate of the future simplified tax and the addition of animal proteins to the list of basic food basket items exempt from taxation.
A second draft regulation of the reform is in the focus of the Chamber of Deputies in the second half of the year. The proposal deals with the functioning of the management committee of the new Tax on Goods and Services (IBS).
Priorities
Pacheco also listed, in the press conference, some topics that will be seen as priorities by the Senate, despite the election period — projects that deal with artificial intelligence and the regulation of the carbon market are among them.
The senator also stated that he is working to ensure that the state debt bill is ready for voting next week. Talks are also planned between Pacheco and the bill’s rapporteur, Senator Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), with governors and members of the federal government’s economic team.
“My intention is that we can work throughout this week and that this project is ready to be considered in the Senate plenary next week, Tuesday or Wednesday,” he said.
In the case of defining sources of funds to finance the extension of the payroll tax exemption, there is still no consensus. Pacheco stated that the matter will be a priority in the debates this August, precisely because the deadline set by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) for negotiation between the Legislative and Executive Branches expires in September.
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