Panel SA: Industry raises pressure on Guedes by cutting IPI by 50%

The Industry Coalition, a group that brings together business representatives from more than ten sectors, should increase pressure for a request for a 50% cut in the IPI (Tax on Industrialized Products). The agenda will be the main subject of the group’s periodic meeting with the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes, this Friday (11).

The main argument to defend the reduction in the tax, which would exclude only cigarettes and drinks, is that the measure would help to alleviate inflation.

The request generates noise in the group, which brings together entities such as Instituto Aço Brasil (steel mills), Interfarma (pharmaceuticals), Abicalçados and Abrinq (toys). Eletros, which represents the electronics industry, says it is not against the measure, but expresses concern about the comparative advantages of the Manaus Free Trade Zone, where there are factories in the sector.

The industry movement takes place in parallel with the discussion of the Fuels PEC. “Our focus is to accelerate the fall of the IPI, tax reform, exempt taxes and say that we are against this PEC on Fuels, which has parachuted”, says José Ricardo Roriz, president of Abiplast (plastics industry), which is also part of the coalition.

​Joana Cunha with Andressa Motter and Ana Paula Branco