Basic basket in the states: see list of unusual items – 08/20/2023 – Market

Repellent, sunscreen, cheese bread, yerba mate, broom, school supplies, medication, brick, motorcycle helmet and satellite dish.

These are some additional items that make up the basic basket in part of the Brazilian states, points out a study published by researchers from FGV Direito SP in the first half.

Regional discrepancies, however, may disappear after the Tax Reform. The proposal approved in July in the Chamber of Deputies provides for the creation of a basic national food basket with zero taxation.

The list of products is not yet known, and the definition is subject to negotiations. Part of the specialists see this point as a possible challenge for the implementation of the reform, since standardization can be the target of pressure from different sectors.

After approval in the House, the text was forwarded to the Senate. The choice of products from the national basket must be made by means of a complementary law.

“We are in a continental country, and it has regional aspects that are important for the basic consumption of families”, says William do Val Domingues Junior, master in law and one of the researchers responsible for the FGV Direito SP study on the basic food basket.

“The ideal would be to have a little freedom to include or remove some regional items that are or are not part of the general consumption of each state. Some flexibility could be had”, he adds.

The idea of ​​the basic basket emerged in the country through a decree in 1938, in the Getúlio Vargas era, with 13 foods. Over time, the list underwent changes in the states, going beyond the initially defined goods.

The expansion is associated with tax treatment. Basic products are exempt from federal taxes, but the states are free to grant benefits with regard to ICMS, adapting their lists. Thus, over the years, the ratio of additional items to the basket increased in the Federation units.

“Each state has the possibility of expanding or reducing what it considers to be items in the basic basket. Some states use a reduction in the calculation base, others reduce the rate directly”, says Domingues Junior.

In Rio de Janeiro, for example, insect repellent and sunscreen with a protection factor equal to or greater than 30 are part of the additional items in the basket, according to the study by FGV Direito SP. In São Paulo, the list includes medications such as contraceptives, anti-inflammatories and analgesics.

In Minas Gerais, there is the presence of a famous snack of the local cuisine: the cheese bread. Rapadura, quail egg and cheese produced in the state are also on the list.

Ceará is the Federation unit with the highest ratio of additional products in the basic basket, according to the study. The state includes, for example, construction materials, such as tiles and bricks, and school items, such as notebooks, pencils and erasers, as well as satellite dishes, bicycles and motorcycle helmets.

Yerba mate is present in the composition of the basket in Santa Catarina, Paraná and Mato Grosso. Manioc gum (or tapioca) appears in the list of North and Northeast states. Goiás, in turn, adds the broom to the basic basket.

“The differences are very sharp, both in the size and composition of the basket”, says Domingues Junior.

Supermarkets suggest food and hygiene baskets

Abras (Brazilian Association of Supermarkets) suggests the creation of a national basic basket divided into 34 items. There are 25 foods, in addition to nine hygiene products.

“We are suggesting [a cesta] for debate in the Senate. We don’t have the position to defend, we have the position to suggest. It’s a collaboration”, says João Galassi, president of Abras.

The association’s proposal ranges from goods such as meat, eggs, flour, rice, beans, milk, fruits and vegetables to diapers, sanitary pads and what it describes as “oral hygiene”.

“What are the oral hygiene items? You have toothpaste, brush, dental floss, tongue scraper and mouthwash. products that make up oral hygiene”, says Galassi.

According to him, the proposal was prepared based on two criteria. The first is the importance of the 34 items in household consumption. The second is associated with the fact that this basket contains products that already have special tax treatment.

Basket ranges from less than R$ 600 to almost R$ 800 in the capitals

On a monthly basis, Dieese (Inter-union Department of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies) surveys the average price of the basic food basket in 17 state capitals. The survey covers 12 or 13 staple foods, depending on the region. This list is based on the 1938 decree.

According to Dieese, Porto Alegre had the most expensive basic basket in July 2023. The average value was R$ 777.16 in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul. São Paulo (R$769.95), Florianópolis (R$746.66) and Rio de Janeiro (R$738.12) come next.

Aracaju, on the other hand, had the lowest average basket price in July: R$547.22. Three other metropolises recorded values ​​below R$ 600. All are located in the Northeast. These are the cases of João Pessoa (R$ 581.31), Recife (R$ 592.71) and Salvador (R$ 596.04).