1. The Bolsonaro administration lists priorities for Congress in 2022

On Thursday, the federal government published its priority agenda for Congress in 2022 in the Brazilian Official Government Gazette. The list contains 45 bills divided into macro topics.

For the economy, the new Guarantees Framework (Bill 4188/21), which aims to reduce the amount of bureaucracy for companies trying to enter the credit market, stands out as a priority. The reduction of the so-called Brazil Cost is also high on the list of priorities. One initiative aiming to achieve that goal is Bill 4391/21, which legalizes companies or individuals representing private interests and lobby politicians.

Câmara dos Deputados: Lista de prioridades do governo para 2022 traz 45 propostas
Poder360: Governo Bolsonaro anuncia prioridades de 2022 no Legislativo
G1: Governo publica prioridades no Congresso em 2022 com armas, combustíveis e licença ambiental

2. The Administrative Council for Economic Defense approves purchase of Oi by three large companies

The Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), the Brazilian antitrust organization, approved –with some restrictions– the acquisition of mobile network company Oi by three large telecommunications companies: Claro, Telefonica (Vivo) and TIM.

To avoid a monopoly and to ensure competition between the companies, CADE demanded some conditions be met. Part of Oi’s reach will be rented to other companies and Oi’s Base Transceiver Stations will be sold.

Valor Econômico: Cade racha, mas aprova a venda da Oi Móvel
G1: Cade define condições e aprova com restrições venda da Oi Móvel para Claro, TIM e Vivo
O Globo: Oi: Cade aprova venda de rede móvel para Claro, Tim e Vivo com restrições em votação apertada

3. Evangelical politicians aim to be 30% of Congress in 2023

The evangelical voting bloc, which is one of the most powerful groups of politicians in the Brazilian Congress, elected a new President, Representative Sóstenes Cavalcante (DEM-RJ), who has promised to increase representation of the group in the 2022 elections.

In a recent interview, Sóstenes said he will work hard to ensure that evangelical politicians in the Chamber of Deputies and in the Senate win 30% of the seats in Congress. According to him, this percentage is representative of the country’s population, with 1/3 of Brazilians identifying as evangelical.

Folha de S. Paulo: Bancada evangélica quer ser 30% do Congresso, diz seu novo presidente
Poder360: Bancada evangélica mira ser 30% do Congresso, diz deputado

4. Chamber of Deputies approves bill altering pesticide registration rules

In their first week of legislative work this year, the Chamber of Deputies approved Bill 6299/2002, which makes it easier to register pesticides in Brazil.

With the new rules, the Ministry of Agriculture will be responsible for registering new pesticides in the country as well as analyzing and monitoring the use of these products. The bill also allows for a temporary registration if approval takes longer than agreed upon.

In Congress, the bill was criticized by leftist parties due to concerns that the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Health could lose their power with the new approval process. The group of politicians who represent farmers were in favor of the bill and pushed to get it approved.

Câmara dos Deputados: Câmara aprova projeto que altera regras de registro de agrotóxicos
G1: Câmara aprova projeto que facilita autorização de agrotóxicos
Folha de S. Paulo: Câmara aumenta poder do Ministério da Agricultura para registrar agrotóxicos

5. Economy team worries about attempts to lower fuel prices

The economy team of the Bolsonaro administration is worried about the attempts by Congress and the federal government to lower fuel prices. The price reduction is aimed at appeasing voters ahead of the upcoming presidential election.

However, technicians in the Ministry of Economy –lead by Paulo Guedes– fear that forcing the reduction of diesel and gasoline prices could have a negative impact, with the financial market disapproving of the interference and resulting in increased fiscal uncertainty in the election year. 

Estadão: PEC dos Combustíveis: BC alerta que proposta pode aumentar os preços em vez de diminuir a inflação
CNN Brasil: PEC dos Combustíveis: o que já se sabe sobre projeto que busca conter preços
O Globo: PEC dos Combustíveis é positiva, mas precisa de aperfeiçoamentos, diz presidente da Petrobras