PT President Gleisi Hoffmann| Photo: Tânia Rego/Agência Brasil

After publicly attacking the possibility of resuming federal taxes on gasoline and ethanol – which ended up happening – PT president Gleisi Hoffmann returned to Twitter on Tuesday (28) to demand a review of the dividend distribution policy of the Petrobras, which he called “indecent”. She also reiterated her criticisms of the company’s current fuel pricing policy, based on importers’ value parity.

“Now it is building a fairer price policy at Petrobras, putting an end to PPI [preço de paridade de importação] and review the company’s indecent distribution of dividends so that it can invest again and make Brazil grow”, he wrote.

On Friday (24), on the eve of the end of the exemption period for PIS, Cofins and Cide on gasoline and ethanol, she came out in public defending that fuels should not be re-encumbered, going against the position of the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad. Also on Twitter, she declared that she was not against fuel taxation, but that ending the exemption at this time would “penalize the consumer, generate more inflation and fail to fulfill her campaign commitment.”

The impasse ended with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) endorsement for the resumption of tax collection as of this Wednesday (1st), but at a lower rate than that collected last year, before the exemption. In addition, Petrobras announced a reduction in the price of gasoline to distributors. “President Lula had the sensitivity to reduce the impact of fuel recharging on the consumer’s pocket, with a reduction in tax rates and the price at the refinery”, praised Gleisi after the announcement of the new taxation.