Government evaluates “new look” for credit program created in 2020

According to the Minister of Entrepreneurship, Márcio França (PSB), the Lula government is evaluating “a new look” for the National Support Program for Micro and Small Businesses (Pronampe), a credit program created under the Bolsonaro government to help small businesspeople during the period of restrictions imposed by governors and mayors under the pretext of combating the spread of the Covid-19 virus, in 2020.

“We imagine that Pronampe could have a new look, since there is no longer talk of a pandemic. Something similar to Pronaf, with interest being separated from Selic. With Selic, there is this feeling of instability”, minister Márcio França told journalists, this Tuesday (20).

According to França, the idea is that the new Pronampe model has a pre-fixed interest rate, as is the case with the National Program for Strengthening Family Agriculture (Pronaf), which has an interest rate starting at 3% per year.

Currently, Pronampe’s interest rate is 6% per year plus Selic, which is 11.25%.

The Entrepreneurship department is also considering using the Crediamigo methodology, a microcredit program from Banco do Nordeste (BNB), as a reference.

“We will support at least the microcredit part in the Crediamigo format. But Crediamigo has a collective endorsement format and this format is not simple to implement in all regions of Brazil”, said França.

In 2023, loans via Pronampe totaled around R$33.8 billion, a drop of 8% compared to 2022. The loans are guaranteed by the Operations Guarantee Fund (FGO), which has contributions from the National Treasury .

The minister also promised to enable a “capital opening” mechanism for micro and small companies by 2025.