Extension of the discount for buying cars has not been decided, says Alckmin

Vice-president Geraldo Alckmin, who occupies the position of president during Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) trip to Europe, said this Tuesday (20) that the extension of the program that granted tax credits to lower the price of new cars it is not yet decided.

The extension of the deadline was mentioned by Lula during the ministerial meeting last Thursday (15), in which he asked for studies for the extension. Alckmin, however, says it will likely run out when the R$500 million in tax credits run out.

“That will be decided a little later. Probably, this is not a definitive decision, but probably when the R$ 500 million ends, the program, the stimulus, ends”, he said after an event of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI).

A survey released this Monday (19) by the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC) pointed out that 64% of the resources have already been consumed, equivalent to at least R$ 320 million. Minister Fernando Haddad, of Finance, stated that the government “has no room” to extend the incentive.

In addition to the question of whether to extend the program, Alckmin joined Lula’s chorus on interest rates, which are being analyzed this Tuesday (20) and Wednesday (21) by the Monetary Policy Committee (Copom), of the Central Bank.

According to him, the government will “help” so that consumers have access “while interest rates do not fall, and we are sure they will.”