President of Aprosoja-GO, Bartolomeu Braz, is elected to the presidency of Aprosoja Brasil

The rural producer and president of the Association of Soy and Corn Producers of Goiás (Aprosoja-GO), Bartolomeu Braz Pereira, was elected president of Aprosoja Brasil for the 2018-2020 biennium. The election took place by acclamation during an assembly held this Wednesday (28/3), in Brasília. Current vice-president of the entity, Bartolomeu will take over Aprosoja Brasil replacing Marcos da Rosa. The inauguration ceremony is scheduled for May 8th also in the federal capital.

The elected president of Aprosoja Brasil credits the achievement of the position to the recognition for the work that has been developed by the association in Goiás. He cites as an example the clash that Aprosoja-GO had with the state government in 2016, when producers obtained the revocation of a decree that became known as "70/30 taxation". This regulation taxed part of Goiás' soybean and corn exports with ICMS, contradicting the Kandir Law, a federal rule that exempts primary products destined for the international market from taxes.

"Aprosoja-GO had the courage to face governments, the Legislative Assembly, the State's tax bodies. So when you see that we are arriving here in Brasília in the presidency of the largest production chain in Brazil, soybeans, it is because there was this work in the State of Goiás and it was recognized. Now we need to continue and seek to solve the problems that we will have in agriculture ahead", says Bartolomeu, who is also vice-president of the Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of Goiás (Faeg).

Among the many challenges that are already posed at the federal level, the president of Aprosoja-GO highlights the discussions in Congress about the end of the Kandir Law. He states that the return of taxes on grain exports would make Brazil export taxes and lose competitiveness in relation to competing countries in this market.

Funrural 

Bartolomeu also demands a definitive solution from the Federal Supreme Court regarding Funrural's retroactive charging. In search of this answer, he reinforces Aprosoja's participation in the Green and Yellow April Movement, next Wednesday, April 4th, in Brasília. In addition to the pressure on the STF, the leader says that the federal government also needs to understand that producers are unable to pay this retroactive and undue bill, as the STF had previously ruled that Funrural was unconstitutional.

The elected president of Aprosoja Brasil also states that the political year will be the entity's focus, because when supporting the Country's Economy, the agribusiness sector has to be the protagonist of the discussions. "The Brazilian countryside is very efficient, but we need public policies to be made in line with this sector. So, this is a year in which rural producers and our entities need to be closer to politics", he highlights.

"The Agricultural Parliamentary Front (FPA) will be rebuilt with new deputies and we have an obligation in our States to create politicians who are aware of the agricultural cause so that we can discuss political actions in favor of these rural producers in the future."

Tax reform

In addition to actions aimed at the sector, Aprosoja Brasil has been working on broader agendas in the last two years. Current president of the entity, Marcos da Rosa, informs that he and his board sought to make it clear to government officials that it is necessary to build a project for a Brazilian nation, with growth and income for the entire population.

"First, we have to relieve the country of burdens. We need a tax reform, reducing tax collection and making the State more efficient so that our taxes can return to growth, to infrastructure", he says.  

Marcos da Rosa will leave command of Aprosoja Brasil, but will continue to represent the entity until the end of 2018 on the Board of Directors of Instituto Pensar Agropecuária (IPA). The institute, made up of more than 40 agricultural entities, aims to stimulate public policies for the sector and provide technical support to the FPA bench in the National Congress.