Businessmen fear loss of focus with Bolsonaro’s return – 03/27/2023 – Panel SA

The prospect of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro’s return to Brazil this week raises fears among businessmen that the Lula government will turn its focus to political talk and lose concentration on priority issues on the economic agenda.

The assessment is that Lula’s behavior in the clash with Senator Sergio Moro last week was a sample that the government may still be very concerned about the polarization agenda.

“The concern is that we still don’t know the government’s plan and strategy. As much as there are things on the table, we cannot lose focus on tax reform, on the fiscal framework and on
reduction of the cost of capital in Brazil”, says José Ricardo Roriz, president of Abiplast (which brings together the plastics industry).

For economist Roberto Teixeira da Costa, former president of the CVM and founder of Cebri (Brazilian Center for International Relations), it is important that Bolsonaro returns and that he responds for acts committed in his government, but Lula should leave these matters to be dealt with in the Justice. The former president faces cases ranging from fines for making motorcycle riders without a mask in the pandemic to investigating anti-democratic acts.

“I don’t see American President Joe Biden talking about former President Donald Trump”, says Teixeira da Costa.

According to the economist, Brazil has a menu of things to be done. “There are large open fronts that were at the base of the presidential speech, such as the issue of inequality. This is an issue that we cannot let cool down. Brazil cannot prosper without resolving this. A country does not grow without creating new markets by better distributing income. There is also the climate issue and the issue of the Yanomami”, says Teixeira da Costa.

Marco Polo de Mello Lopes, president of Coalizão Brasil, which brings together representatives from 14 industrial sectors, says that the focus should continue on tax reform and on the debate on interest rates.

“Nobody has any doubts about the very high level of interest, but there is also a perception that the government needs to move forward, and it is working on it but needs to formalize what the fiscal framework is. cause of pressure on the Central Bank”, says Lopes.

Joana Cunha with Paulo Ricardo Martins It is Diego Felix

PRESENT LINK: Did you like this text? Subscriber can release five free hits of any link per day. Just click the blue F below.