Amazonas asks Haddad to fund the Free Zone – 7/5/2023 – Market

The governor of Amazonas, Wilson Lima (União Brasil), asked Minister Fernando Haddad (Finance) this Wednesday (5), in a meeting on tax reform, to create a compensation fund with resources for the Manaus Free Trade Zone .

In the suggested model, the so-called compensation, sustainability and economic diversification fund should deliver 40% to the State of Amazonas to recompose revenue losses with the change in the taxation regime and 60% of the resources to promote activities carried out by companies installed in the Zone France from Manaus.

“We came here to present some proposals, such as, for example, a fund that can make this compensation so that the State can continue to invest in essential areas, such as health and education”, said the governor, who was accompanied by the parliamentary group amazonense at the meeting.

“The reform [tributária] cannot widen this chasm that exists between the regions of Brazil. The question proposed by the State government, together with the [do Amazonas]is from an Amazonas development fund, which could compensate for these losses, but could also be an investment fund so that we can invest in new economic matrices”, he added.

Lima says he met with Haddad to guarantee the maintenance of a differentiated regime for the Manaus Free Trade Zone region until 2073, as provided for in the constitutional amendment approved in 2014. Questions about legal security and tax collection were also discussed during the meeting.

Alongside the governor of Amazonas, Haddad said he had received several suggestions from Lima to be incorporated into the text of the reform’s rapporteur, Aguinaldo Ribeiro (PP-PB).

In a nod, the minister spoke of “sympathy to treat the Manaus Free Trade Zone with the greatest care”, emphasizing President Lula’s “respect and admiration for this project that guarantees the sustainability of the region”.

“We know the importance of this development project, we want it to be maintained at least until 2073, the period in which the benefits of the region are in effect under the current Constitution. compromised, including in international agreements”, said the holder of the economic portfolio.