At a CAS meeting, Wilson Lima highlights the economic and social importance of BR-319

Manaus (AM) – Governor Wilson Lima once again called for progress in the BR-319 recovery works and highlighted the socioeconomic role of the highway, especially in times of crisis. During the 313th Ordinary Meeting of the Board of Directors of Suframa (CAS), chaired by the acting president and minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC), Geraldo Alckmin, the governor highlighted that, during the last drought, companies had to give collective vacations for employees because the industrial hub’s supply of inputs was affected.

With the rivers drying up, ships bringing inputs did not arrive at the ports in Manaus. According to the governor, the highway is also important to guarantee the right to come and go for citizens of Amazonas and Roraima – the only Brazilian states isolated by land.

“We all understand the economic role that this highway has and it is fundamental, especially in times of crisis. She missed us in the most difficult moments of the pandemic, in the most difficult moments now of the drought and, last year, we had no other alternative. The ships had to be stopped and there was no way for the cargo to reach here in the state of Amazonas”, highlighted Wilson Lima.

On the occasion, the governor also asked for the dredging process in the Amazon rivers to be brought forward, as a preventive measure for the 2024 drought in areas with navigation difficulties, such as in the Tabocal region, close to the municipality of Itacoatiara (176 kilometers from Manaus). The anticipation was guaranteed by Alckmin for May.

“The idea is to start dredging in May. So let’s get ahead of ourselves. Prevention is good”, announced Alckmin. “In relation to BR-319, the Ministry of Transport created a working group just for this, to check exactly the issue of paving and work towards sustainability”, added the acting president.

Potassium
The governor also highlighted the decision of the federal court that transferred the licensing process for the exploration of potash in Autazes (112 kilometers from the capital) to the State. Wilson guaranteed that the government will act with the necessary rigor to comply with the conditions for environmental preservation and also so that production results in a reduction in Brazil’s dependence on imports of potassium chloride, used mainly in agriculture.

In addition to the governor and the acting president, the Minister of Entrepreneurship, Microenterprise and Small Business, Márcio França, was also present; the superintendent of Suframa, Bosco Saraiva; vice-governor Tadeu de Souza; Senator Omar Aziz, leader of the federal bench in Amazonas, among other parliamentarians and representatives of powers and professional entities.

CAS meeting
At the first meeting of the year of the Suframa Board of Directors, 33 industrial and service projects were approved whose investments total R$ 1.2 billion (US$ 249 million), expected to generate 1,084 jobs and projected revenues exceeding R$ 6 .3 billion ($1.3 billion).

On the agenda were 15 implementation projects, 13 diversification projects and five update projects, covering subsectors such as thermoplastics and electronics and including products consolidated in the PIM, including electric motorcycles and bicycles, color televisions with liquid crystal screens, video monitors with organic luminescence screen (Oled) for use in computing, portable microcomputers, among others.

State Government and ZFM
The session also had a special character in reference to the 57th anniversary of the Free Zone and Suframa, celebrated on February 28th. The model currently has approximately 500 companies concentrated in the area defined by legislation (Manaus and its surroundings) and is responsible for an average of 112.5 thousand direct jobs.

Wilson Lima assessed that the State Government’s moves aim to maintain attractiveness for companies to make investments. Currently, the state exemption granted varies between 55% and 100% of the ICMS, which combined with federal incentives, makes the Manaus Industrial Pole (PIM) extremely competitive, especially in the segments: electronics, two wheels, IT goods, mechanics, thermoplastic, watchmaking, chemical, among others.

The governor of Amazonas also recalled that, in 2021, he sent a Bill to the Legislative Assembly of the State of Amazonas – approved unanimously – which extended the State Tax Incentive Policy for another 10 years (until 2032), providing legal security to investors and ensuring the competitiveness of companies located in the ZFM coverage area.

In 2019, Wilson Lima also created the Strategic Tax Affairs Committee (CATE) to monitor, analyze and prepare proposals for tax reform projects with the aim of preserving the region’s main economic model.

*With information from consultancy

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