Senate postpones vote on bills that deal with fuel prices

The Federal Senate again postponed the vote on the bills dealing with fuel prices. This Wednesday (23), senators discussed the proposal that changed the rules for charging ICMS in the states (PLP 11/20). But, due to the resistance of the parliamentarians linked to the governors, the appreciation was rescheduled again.

“The direction that the Presidency makes is that we have the clarity that the project has been sufficiently discussed, the opinion has already been presented. If there is a need for time for reflection, we will give it time”, announced the president of the House, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), in plenary. Voting will take place after Carnival, on the 8th.

Last Tuesday (22), the rapporteur of the measure, Jean Paul Prates (PT-RN), changed the opinion to try to make the vote viable. In the text, he maintained the single rate for states and the Federal District for gasoline, ethanol, diesel, biodiesel, cooking gas and natural gas. But it also included aviation kerosene.

While the rates are not unified, the senator has also established a form of transition and a basis for calculating the tax on diesel and biodiesel: the value will be the average price of the last five years. The senator also indicated that he could accept, in plenary, an amendment to zero the collection of federal taxes Pis and Confins on diesel and cooking gas.

The previous opinion provided for the single rate on diesel, but the adoption of the measure would be optional for governors. The device was criticized by the federal government, as it gave state managers autonomy to decide or not the single rate. Candidate for reelection, President Jair Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) defends the reduction in the value of fuel.