Minister says that taxation of bets and high income corrects distortions; cites inflation “under control”, employment and trade balance
The Minister of Finance, Dario Durigan, stated this Wednesday (June 17, 2026), in a hearing at the Finance and Taxation Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, that the criticism that the government promotes a “fundraiser” by expanding taxation on sports betting and high-income income, including investments abroad, structures in tax havens and closed-end funds.
According to the minister, the measures correct distortions in the tax system and increase equality between different forms of income. “Until 2022, bets operated without taxation (under Jair Bolsonaro’s government). The Lula government came, proposed 18%, and Congress approved 12%. It doesn’t seem like a fundraising binge to me”he declared.
DEFENSE OF TAX POLICY
Durigan stated that the initiative seeks to guarantee equivalent tax treatment for different types of income.
According to him, the expansion of taxation on sports betting, investments abroad, offshore structures and closed-end funds aims to correct asymmetries in the system.
ECONOMY AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
At the same hearing, the minister declared that Brazil is experiencing an inflation scenario “under control” and strong job creation, with around 5.1 million jobs created in 2026.
According to Durigan, performance reflects the “integrality of economic policy” and is inserted in a context in which the country “grows more than the world expected”in reference to International Monetary Fund projections.
The minister said that inflation, although controlled, still “worries”. He also cited the opening of markets and institutional predictability as factors that help explain the economy’s performance.
In the fiscal field, he highlighted the cut of R$23 billion in an election year and stated that the measure reinforces the government’s commitment to balancing public accounts. According to him, the result shows a more solid scenario than in previous electoral cycles.
Durigan mentioned the Desenrola program as an instrument for reorganizing credit and finances of families and companies, with an impact on economic activity. When defending incentives for good payers, he stated: “This is the value we need to defend in the country, the reward for those who pay”.
The minister also declared that measures adopted by the government produced “concrete results for people”citing actions related to fuels and macroeconomic conditions. According to him, debt service was pressured by a scenario in which a more accelerated fall in interest rates was expected after the launch of Desenrola, in 2023, but global monetary policy required adjustments in 2024.
ENERGY AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS
In the financial area, Durigan stated that the government is evaluating the issuance of bonds in Asia. He also cited as priorities the fight against the illegal betting market and the fight against organized crime by monitoring financial flows.
Regarding energy, he said that Brazil is in a more favorable position than European countries that are facing discussions about fuel rationing. He cited adjustments of 6% to 10% in gasoline and around 15% in diesel, and stated that the impacts are being managed with mitigation measures.
Durigan declared that Brazil has a surplus in energy, mainly due to the production and export of oil, which helps to cushion external shocks without the need for tax changes or resorting to “tax war”.
The minister also stated that the government maintains dialogue “open, transparent and lucid” with the United States on economic and trade issues. According to him, international and environmental stability are among the priorities of economic policy.
