The president of the Chamber, deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL), said today (10) that Parliament must vote on a proposal to reduce fuel taxes in the country. The congressman has defended the project already approved in the Chamber, which establishes a fixed amount for the collection of the Tax on the Circulation of Goods and Services (ICMS) on fuels. The matter is currently awaiting a vote in the Senate. 
“If we had ended the ICMS discussion, the pressure would already have decreased”, he said. “This is a tax that is weighing on Brazilians’ pockets. It is worth reflecting on. It was clear that the tax needs to be reviewed and analyzed,” he added.
According to Lira, in 2021, the states and the Federal District had revenue of R$ 109.5 billion with ICMS, an amount 36% higher than the R$ 80.4 billion collected in the previous year. The project approved by the Chamber makes the ICMS invariable in the face of oil variations or exchange rate changes.
“The Senate can even change the ICMS rate, which we do not deal with, but it is also up to the discussion of federal taxes,” he said.
According to the bill’s rapporteur in the Chamber, deputy Dr Jaziel (PL-CE), the changes established in the text should lead to a reduction in the final price charged to the consumer of, on average, 8% for regular gasoline, 7% for ethanol hydrated and 3.7% for diesel B.
semi-presidentialism
Arthur Lira also stated that the Chamber should discuss this semester the proposal for the adoption of semi-presidentialism, in which the president would share power with a prime minister.
According to him, the PEC should not be voted on before the election, but only by the new Congress that will be chosen in October. “It would be a proposal for 2030, not funneling the debate,” he argued.
*With information from the Chamber Agency
