House approves urgent projects that reduce electricity and fuel bills

Text is part of a package selected by President Arthur Lira (PP-AL) to try to lower energy and fuel prices, changing Petrobras’ policy

THE Chamber of Deputies approved the processing, as a matter of urgency, of two projects that could reduce the electricity bill it’s the fuel price. The two projects were picked by the president of the House, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), who chose the fight against inflation and the reduction of energy and fuel prices as priorities for the Chamber this week.

One of the texts will reduce the price of the electricity bill for the consumer, by reimbursing him for undue tax charges. The other foresees changes to provide more transparency on the rules for the composition of prices of oil derivatives practiced by Petrobras. In practice, this project has the potential to change the company’s pricing policy.

In the case of the tax refund proposal, the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) will have to regulate the return of amounts unduly collected in discounts on the electricity bill, and are valid for changes in rules or administrative and judicial decisions that reduce taxes.

This is the case of the decision of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), of 2021, in the thesis of the century, which determined the exclusion of the ICMS value from the PIS/Cofins calculation basis valid from March 15, 2017.

In January 2021, Aneel had already started a public consultation process to discuss how to return more than BRL 50.1 billion in tax credits to consumers, according to figures reported at the time.

Asked about the total amount to be returned and how much will be deducted, Aneel has not responded until this publication. The agency informed, however, that the credits will have specific regulations and that it is in the phase of analyzing the contributions received in public consultation. It is expected that this regulation will be completed in the first half of the year.

Aneel points out that there is already an order that authorizes, in exceptional situations, the use of these credits, but limited to 20% of the total value of the credit potential of that lawsuit. The mechanism is already used in tariff readjustment or review processes in the years 2021 and 2022.

The fuel project, on the other hand, makes it mandatory to disclose values ​​referring to components that influence the prices of oil products sold in the country by Petrobras.

Also determine that the sales prices practiced must take into account production and refining costs in national currency. Today, the state-owned company’s pricing policy, which is criticized by the government and the opposition, takes into account price parity with the international market. In other words: the values ​​are linked to the price of oil abroad and to the dollar, which makes fuel more expensive here.

Focus on energy

The Chamber has already approved a proposal that limits the collection of ICMS on energy, fuel, telecom and public transport to a rate of 17%. Lira wants to vote on another text that will impact the collection of states, with a text that prevents the collection of ICMS on tariff flags.

The project dealing with tax refunds was located during meetings that were attended by the Ministry of Mines and Energy. The ministry raised other alternatives that could reduce the value of the electricity bill, and the text that provides for the return of tax credits is one of them.

Source: O Globo Agency