This Wednesday (11), weapons, ammunition and sugary drinks were removed from the list of products taxed by the Selective Tax (IS) created by the tax reform.
The report by senator Eduardo Braga (MDB-AM) on the project was approved by the collegiate this Wednesday, in a session lasting almost 8 hours. Now, the proposal goes to the plenary as a matter of urgency, where it should be analyzed on Thursday morning (12).
According to the reform, the Selective Tax, known as the “sin tax”, will apply to products that are harmful to health and the environment.
Weapons and ammunition
When the project was approved by the Chamber, in August this year, the PSOL bench tried to include weapons and ammunition in the list of taxed items, but there was strong resistance from the public security bench and opposition parties. The request was rejected.
The taxation of weapons was defended by several civil society organizations in the area of public security, such as the Instituto Sou da Paz.
In the Senate, However, the Liberal Party presented a highlight to remove the products from the list. The request was approved by 16 votes to 10. After the vote, the rapporteur stated that he will present a highlight in the plenary to include weapons again in the list of taxed items.
“It’s not fair for us to lower the tax burden on weapons and ammunition. The arguments are not ideological, the arguments are technical. There will be one last attempt in the plenary, our base will present a highlight and we will see what the expanded plenary with 81 votes will decide”, said Braga.
The idea was also reinforced by the government leader in Congress, Randolfe Rodrigues (PT-AP). In the senator’s assessment, “disseminating weapons to the population is a harmful practice”.
Sugary drinks
Another approved amendment removes sugary drinks from the Selective Tax. In the request, senator Vanderlan Cardoso (PSD-GO), states that the taxation of these items is “questionable” and “discriminatory”.
Furthermore, the senator claims that the imposition of additional taxes on items could “economically harm consumers, informal traders and sectors of the food and beverage industry”. The amendment was approved in a symbolic vote.
