Requirement of Brazilian apps aims to stimulate development of the sector
By January 2015, the Ministry of Communications had approved around 340 Brazilian applications that can be part of the package required from national smartphone manufacturers. The availability of at least 50 software developed in the country is one of the requirements for equipment to have the tax benefits granted by the so-called Lei do Bem: exemption from PIS/Cofins.
According to the project manager of the MiniCom Telecommunications Department, Thales Marçal, the software does not need to be free, but must be easily accessible to the consumer. "Our main objective was to create a showcase for national developers, since it was difficult to find Brazilian options in the main app stores", he explains.
The apps are quite varied and include categories such as health, education, games and entertainment. An example is "Easy Taxi", which serves to call a taxi, find out how long it will take to arrive and even talk to the driver. Another very popular option is the "Turma da Galinha Pintadinha". A success among children, the software has educational games, videos and songs.
Some applications were developed by public agencies and are offered free of charge to the population. This is the case with the Central Bank's "Citizen Calculator", which helps users simulate loans and find out, for example, how much they would need to invest in a given investment to reach the desired value within a given period.
The requirement of a minimum number of national apps came into effect in October 2013, when it was necessary to make five pieces of software available. This amount progressively increased and reached 50 in December 2014.
Check out the full list of MiniCom-approved apps (www.comunicacoes.gov.br).
Extension of tax benefits
Law No. 13,097 was published in the Federal Official Gazette on January 20, resulting from Provisional Measure 656/14 – which, among other provisions, extended the validity of the Lei do Bem Digital Inclusion Program. In practice, tax benefits for equipment such as computers, tablets, keyboards, modems and smartphones, which initially ended in December 2014, are now valid until 2018.
According to the project manager of the MiniCom Telecommunications Department, Thales Marçal, the software does not need to be free, but must be easily accessible to the consumer. "Our main objective was to create a showcase for national developers, since it was difficult to find Brazilian options in the main app stores", he explains.
The apps are quite varied and include categories such as health, education, games and entertainment. An example is "Easy Taxi", which serves to call a taxi, find out how long it will take to arrive and even talk to the driver. Another very popular option is the "Turma da Galinha Pintadinha". A success among children, the software has educational games, videos and songs.
Some applications were developed by public agencies and are offered free of charge to the population. This is the case with the Central Bank's "Citizen Calculator", which helps users simulate loans and find out, for example, how much they would need to invest in a given investment to reach the desired value within a given period.
The requirement of a minimum number of national apps came into effect in October 2013, when it was necessary to make five pieces of software available. This amount progressively increased and reached 50 in December 2014.
Check out the full list of MiniCom-approved apps (www.comunicacoes.gov.br).
Extension of tax benefits
Law No. 13,097 was published in the Federal Official Gazette on January 20, resulting from Provisional Measure 656/14 – which, among other provisions, extended the validity of the Lei do Bem Digital Inclusion Program. In practice, tax benefits for equipment such as computers, tablets, keyboards, modems and smartphones, which initially ended in December 2014, are now valid until 2018.
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