It’s been almost a month since the beginning of the Jair Bolsonaro administration—and it has been an uphill struggle trying to work out what exactly is going on. Members of the Brazilian government have sent messages in different directions, and the number of U-turns and retractions seems to be unprecedented. Many feel that Mr. Bolsonaro’s strategy is to create controversy in order to turn our attention to one way—so we won’t pay attention to what he is really up to, much like Donald Trump in the United States.
So we ask: what is this administration really doing so far?
To answer that question, we at The Brazilian Report have created a brand new newsletter service: Brazil On The Record. Every 15 days, we will publish the most important laws, decrees, administrative acts, and executive orders approved by the Brazilian government — and published on the Federal Register (the Diário Oficial da União).
If something has not been published on the Federal Register, it doesn’t exist, as far as the Brazilian government is concerned.
To inquire about subscription fees, please contact our Communications Officer Laura Quirin (laura@brazilian.report)
Brazil’s Federal Register is published on a daily basis — and is the only space in which the federal government can’t lie. But what multiple administrations do is try to camouflage potentially controversial subjects under a thick layer of legalese.
And that’s where we come in. We will break down precisely what you should be paying attention to—sorting the content by subject, to optimize your reading.
You will realize that most of what you will receive in your inbox won’t make headlines in the press. But that doesn’t mean these subjects are not important — or that they aren’t impactful. As you know, newsrooms are getting smaller and most can’t follow what is published on the Federal Record. But we can.
We will not focus on the information that you have seen in the press. What we want to do is bring you what you won’t find in your daily newspaper.
January 1 – January 18
To the core: Jair Bolsonaro sanctioned a bill approved by Congress in late December that allows for the creation of endowment funds in order to finance projects of NGOs and public institutions. Projects in various areas can be supported, from sports and security, to environment and education. Anything of “public interest” can be covered by the earnings of these funds.
Potential loopholes
Other issues to bear in mind
Source: Lei nº 13.800, de 4 de janeiro de 2019
To the core: Law sanctioned by Jair Bolsonaro facilitates the dismissal of CEOs and members of limited companies. Previously, to remove a member from the status of company administrator, two-thirds of voting shares were needed. Now, a simple majority will suffice. In the case of companies with only two partners, the minority shareholder may be excluded when he/she is “jeopardizing the continuity of the company due to acts of undeniable seriousness”.
Source: Lei nº 13.792, de 3 de janeiro de 2019
To the core: In another of the laws sanctioned by Jair Bolsonaro as soon as he took office, companies were given five more years to submit projects applying for 75 percent discounts on income tax in the areas of operation of the Northeast Development Superintendency and Amazon Development Superintendency, offices responsible for development initiatives in those regions.
Other issues to bear in mind
Source: Lei nº 13.799, de 3 de janeiro de 2019
To the core: Ordinance signed by the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes, defines that it will be up to the Special Treasury Secretary, Waldery Rodrigues, to decide votes in the companies where the federal government holds a seat, including in those where it holds golden shares (for example, Embraer), besides practicing other acts related to companies where the federal government is a shareholder.
Other issues to have in mind
Source: Portaria nº 5, de 9 de janeiro de 2019 (Ministério da Economia)
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