Alckmin says tax reform has to be done this year

The Vice President of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin, defended this Monday (6) that a tax reform be carried out later this year. “It has to be quick. Enjoy the first year [de governo]”, he emphasized on the effort to approve a proposal that simplifies the collection of taxes and duties in the country. Alckmin, who is also Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, participated in the opening of a seminar promoted by the National Federation of Engineers in the city of São Paulo. For Alckmin, the taxes that affect goods and services, which are federal, state and municipal, should be unified in a single tax, in the same model used in other countries. “The whole world has VAT [Imposto sobre Valor Agregado]. We have PIS, Confins, ICMS, ISS. The whole world has one [tributo sobre mercadorias e serviços]”, he said while speaking. The vice president considers the change fundamental to improve the competitiveness of Brazilian industries, which, in his opinion, suffer from the high complexity of the Brazilian tax system. “We are having an early deindustrialization. We are not a rich country, we are a developing country. We need a competitiveness agenda”, he pointed out. Patents As a minister, Alckmin said he intends to reduce the time needed to get a patent approved in Brazil. “We are going to shorten the term for trademarks and patents. Because if it takes me ten years to register a patent, I’m going to invest abroad, I’m not going to invest in Brazil. Because when I register the patent it is already outdated”, he said about the service provided by the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), linked to the Ministry of Development. Exportations Alckmin also announced that an export incentive program will soon be launched in partnership with the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). He did not detail, however, how this initiative will be. “In many areas, if you don’t export, you can’t maintain that industrial sector. A large program will be launched with the BNDES, strengthening Brazilian exports”, he said.

Agência Brasil