Bolsonaro announces zero IPI for sailing boats and says that measure can generate employment

President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) announced in his weekly live that he edited an ordinance to zero the IPI (tax on industrialized products) on the import of sailing boats and watercraft, arguing that the measure would generate employment and boost tourism in Brazil.

Bolsonaro stated that the ordinance allows the import of new and used sailing boats without 20% of the IPI tax.

“I make it clear that this import tax, the IPI, when you reset it, has a reason for that, you don’t need to present an alternative source for that,” he said, alongside the president of Caixa Econômica Federal, Pedro Guimarães.

“Now, I make it clear that each sailing boat in Brazil, which someone might think is a tremendous futility, right, but it has its uses for leisure, competitions, etc… each sailing boat employs an average of two people,” he said.

The president said that Europe had 7 million sailboats and “approximately 14 million jobs”. “Here, for sure, it will happen,” he assured.

Next, Bolsonaro announced zero IPI for watercraft imports. “What’s our intention with the jet ski issue? It’s tourism in Brazil. Because here we are trying to deregulate even more, make the jet ski driver’s license even easier, so that it is accessible to everyone”, he said.

The president stated that there is no difficulty in driving the watercraft. “In ten minutes is more than enough, or even less, for you to learn how to use a jet ski,” he said.

For Bolsonaro, with the reduction of bureaucracy, deregulation and facilitation of the watercraft driver’s license, there will be “jet ski tourism in Brazil working.”

“A fantastic thing that will help tourism too,” he said.