89
taxation
Advocating for
Entityadvocates the
extinctionofdouble
taxationwithFunrural
andrelatedliabilities,
asdecidedin2017, ina
senateresolution
The question of contributing to the Rural Workers’ Assistan-
ce Fund (Funrural) was again debated in 2017. In light of a new si-
tuation of insecurity that surfaced in the rural setting from a deci-
sion taken by the Federal High Court (FHC), which, inMarch, ruled
as constitutional what at the beginning of the decade the court
had ruled as unconstitutional, establishing a five-year retroactive
collection, the Bahia Association of Farmers and Irrigators (Aiba),
along with other organisms, strengthened the fight against the
double taxationof the sector.
Furthermore, a decision in the Senate
was obtained (Resolution nº 15, of 13 Sep-
tember), canceling the contribution and
the liabilities, and throughout the year an
interim order of the government was pen-
ding in Congress (MP 793/2017), about the
renegotiation of farmers’ debts in the area,
wheretherewereadvancesintermsofatte-
nuating payment conditions. Nonetheless,
the perception reinforced by the entity of the Western farmers is
that what, in the end, should prevail is what was defined by the
Senate, to do justice to the sector.
The resolutionof theSenatewas viewedas avictoryof the seg-
ment,inlightofwhatthesectortakesasinjustice,whichisthedou-
bletaxationimposedonruralproducers,eitherphysicalpersonsor
Westernproductive
sectorfightsfor
lowertaxationto
generatewealthin
theCountry
employers, for taxes onwages andpay rolls and
onprofitsstemmingfromproduction. Thisdou-
ble taxation is against the constitutional princi-
ple of isonomy, argues Olegário Macedo, Aiba’s
juridical advisor, who, fromthebeginningof the
judicial debate advised the associate members
tostoppaying this tax, as itwasunjust, and they
shouldnot acknowledge suchdebt.
Aibahasalwaysfoughtonbehalfoftherights
and fair treatment of the farmers, seeking to re-
move heavy burdens from their shoulders, as is
the caseof this tax, so that they cancalmly gene-
rate jobs and produce food and wealth in Brazil,
says president Celestino Zanella. The case was
even submitted to the president of Brazil, Michel
Temer, inOctober 2017, by representativesof the
sector, among themAiba, which took part in the
caravan with vice president David Schmidt. On
that occasion, the official insisted on opposing
anymove towards paying debts that have alrea-
dybeenruledasunconstitutional,reiteratingthat
wewant a solution for the past and future of the
Funrural, in accordance with what was decided
bythesaidresolutionoftheSenate.
fair
