Victory of good against greed, says Bolsonaro after Mendonça’s decision on ICMS

President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) celebrated on Friday night (13) the decision of Minister André Mendonça, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), to overturn a determination by the National Council for Finance Policy (Confaz) that defined the tax rates of ICMS that each State charges on diesel.

“This victory today, the victory of good against greed helps all of us”, declared Bolsonaro during the National Convention of Retail Trade, held in Campos de Jordão (SP) and in which he was honored.

“We filed a lawsuit with the STF, and there I have two ministers appointed by me, and Father from Heaven helped us. This morning the action fell with Minister André Mendonça, and he granted the injunction, so that the ICMS on diesel has to be uniform throughout Brazil, there will no longer be each state having a percentage”, said the president.

“I hope the full [do STF] ratify this [a decisão de Mendonça]”, he added.

With the measure, the government hopes to contain the rise in diesel prices. Rising fuel prices support inflation and hamper Bolsonaro’s re-election plan.

He also spoke about possible changes at Petrobras, responsible for fuel pricing policy, and again criticized the company’s profit.

“I hope, with the changes I made in the last few days in the Ministry of Mines and Energy, that we manage to move Petrobras, make it comply with a constitutional provision that speaks of the social purpose of the company”, said the president.

“We cannot have a company that has a profit above 30%, while in the largest oil companies in the world the profit is at most 15%. These oil companies gave up profits to help their countries. Petrobras cannot continue to be indifferent to all this”, he continued.

“Petrobras has to understand that if Brazil goes bankrupt, it goes bankrupt too. We’re in the same boat.”