Photo credit: Najara Araujo/Chamber of Deputies
Proposal under analysis at the Chamber provides for a simplified tax regime and specific lines of credit for innovative companies
The rapporteur of the special committee that analyzes the Complementary Law Project 146/19, which deals with measures to stimulate so-called startups, deputy Vinícius Poit (Novo-SP), asked that the government proposal on the subject be sent to the Chamber “the as soon as possible". According to him, the idea is to work together with the government on a single text. Recently, Deputy visited ABES and was received by the entity's directors to talk about the Startps Legal Framework.
Presented by more than 20 parliamentarians from different parties, the project is already being analyzed in the Chamber (PLC 146/19) provides, for example, for a simplified tax regime and specific credit lines for startups – small companies focused on the development of innovative products or services. Since last year, the government has also promised to send a proposal on the subject to Congress, after having already made public consultation on an initial text.
In the first public hearing promoted by the commission, Renata Mendes, representative of Endeavor Brasil – a non-profit organization that supports entrepreneurship in Brazil – mentioned the main difficulties faced today by startups. Among them, the tax complexity; the excess of bureaucracy to open, regularize and close companies; and the difficulty of accessing capital. The country has been attracting less investment to startups than China and India, for example.
friendly environment
Renata Mendes advocates that the government and the legislature formulate public policies to promote a friendly business environment for startups. “This involves reforming legislation, adapted to the needs of startups; opening up opportunities for collaboration and business between the government and startups; investment facilitation; and promoting a change in behavior and mentality”, he said.
For her, the change in mentality, showing that startups are a path to development, would allow investors, commercial and development banks to make risky investments in these new businesses.
Representative of the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep) – a public company that promotes science, technology and innovation -, Raphael Braga also believes that the challenge of growth and increased productivity in Brazil must also involve encouraging startups. For him, the legal framework should provide: promotion of a more stable and safer business environment; increase in the supply of capital to companies; insertion of the public administration in this new reality; and talent attraction.
“One of the great difficulties is attracting good brains, attracting talents, whether due to scarcity, whether due to the migration of talents – of the few that existed – out of Brazil, or due to the enormous difficulty of bringing talent from abroad to Brazil”, he said.
Workers
Deputy Túlio Gadelha (PDT-PE) believes that the collegiate has to be concerned with guaranteeing the dignity of the human person in innovative ventures – for example, in transport applications. “This is a discussion that has to be held in this commission as well,” he said. “We have to look at workers, not just entrepreneurs,” he added.
Deputy Marcelo Freixo (Psol-RJ) considers it important to find ways that do not just go through tax exemptions. He also emphasizes that the discussion is far from the reality of public schools and should reach these places.
Difficulty to reinvest
Also a representative of Endevour Brasil, Fabiana Kalil pointed out that in Brazil entrepreneurs who invested and went wrong are unable to invest more. “With a dirty name, it is impossible to access capital in Brazil,” he said. She believes that, in most cases, there is no fraud or other type of crime, but a legitimate attempt to generate income. According to Fabiana Kalil, this reality also drives away foreign investment.
In her view, the Economic Freedom Act, approved last year, has already helped a lot so that the partner and investor are not liable for the failure of the business. She defends the creation of a simplified corporation system for Brazilian entrepreneurship.
According to the work plan of deputy Vinícius Poit, the special commission will promote a total of six public hearings until April and in May he will present the report.
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