After the Pires case, Lira talks about reviewing the State-owned Companies Law and defends privatization of Petrobras

The president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), defended this Tuesday (5th) the revision of the Law on State-Owned Companies to deal with the privatization of Petrobras, a day after businessman Adriano Pires withdrew from assuming the presidency of the oil company.

Lira denied having any kind of relationship with Pires, a partner at the consulting firm CBIE (Brazilian Infrastructure Center), which provides services to Petrobras clients and competitors.

In the opinion of the president of the Chamber, the system established by the State-Owned Companies Law is “complicated”.

“I think that Congress needs to look into this. Petrobras, in addition to being an S/A, cannot ignore that it is a state-owned company. It belongs to the government, which is the majority shareholder. The government cannot be blamed for everything she does wrong, without explanation,” he said.

Lira stated that appointing “a general, an admiral, a university professor, perhaps a journalist, a lawyer or a company administrator who has never had contact with the oil and gas area would be the only way for you to put there to maintain the status quo.” of corporate interest and shield Petrobras so that it remains this being that has no responsibility to Brazil or anyone else”.

The president of the Chamber said he had contact with Pires during the vote on the gas law and stated that the businessman is “recognized as a scholar and an expert on this subject”.

“And you can’t start from the premise that a guy, because he gives advice in a private branch to a private company, he can’t take charge of a public company, because that’s dishonesty”, he said.

According to him, the established compliance rule was made to stop Petrobras. “From that point on, I think there is a clear need for Congress to debate itself to see the possibility of changing some points in the State-Owned Companies Law, including clearly dealing with the privatization of this company.”

He also said that General Luna e Silva is a correct, honest man but does not understand oil and gas. “How was his public hearing here in the Chamber? It was pitiful. He doesn’t understand oil and gas.”

In Lira’s view, Pires and Rodolfo Landim at Petrobras would be an “opportunity for Brazil to have one person, two people, who understand the subject.”

Criticism of both, he added, was fueled by “corporations that have contrary interests.”

“So compliance as it exists in the State-Owned Companies Law and especially in the Petrobras issue makes it impossible for anyone in the industry to act as president of Petrobras and act wisely, with firmness in the management of this process.”

Lira then praised the president of the Central Bank, Roberto Campos Neto, and Minister Paulo Guedes (Economy). “Where do ministers in related areas come from? So you can’t want a person who doesn’t understand the subject to go run a company because compliance is all that fits.”

“The State-Owned Companies Law was voted on here. We have to look into this matter. Because today I ask you: who does Petrobras serve? It doesn’t give satisfaction to anyone, it doesn’t produce wealth, it doesn’t produce development”, he said.

“Because it’s good for investors, it’s good for shareholders, and that’s all it serves. It’s a state-owned company. of fuels, that it be privatized and that we treat this with the necessary seriousness.”

Lira said that he had approached the issue superficially at the meeting of leaders and said that the government would not necessarily have to propose a change in the law. “But whether from the government or from Congress, the important thing is that this situation has to be reviewed.”

“The people who are going there, and it was clear, with all due respect to former President Luna, of the difficulty he had in answering questions on the House floor. It’s not his area. It wouldn’t be mine,” he said. . “So when we have the opportunity to have people who understand, they are crucified because they provided advice to this or that company in their personal and private activity. This is absurd.”

Pires’ withdrawal was confirmed by the Ministry of Mines and Energy on Monday night (4). Minister Bento Albuquerque (Mines and Energy) received a letter from Pires in which he informed the withdrawal.

The economist’s decision creates an impasse for the government, which has less than ten days to find a replacement to preside over Petrobras.

With Adriano Pires giving up, Minister Paulo Guedes (Economy) tries to name an assistant to the command of Petrobras: the special secretary for Debureaucratization, Management and Digital Government of the Ministry of Economy, Caio Mario Paes de Andrade.