Bullet bench reacts to Lula’s decree that increases taxes on weapons: ‘Revanchist policy’

BRASÍLIA – Members of the bullet bench in the Chamber of Deputies criticized the decree issued by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that increased the Tax on Industrialized Products (IPI) rate by up to 55% on firearms and ammunition. The president of the bench, Alberto Fraga (PL-DF), presented a project to suspend Lula’s decision.

For parliamentarians, the measure adopted by the PT member means a “revanchist and purely ideological policy”. “They actually want to asphyxiate, increasing the price significantly, in an attempt to prevent the population from buying weapons to defend their property,” said Fraga.

“PT’s ambition is to disarm law-abiding citizens. The Lula government is completely lost, it does not present a satisfactory measure to combat crime and contain the spread of organized crime,” said Fraga.

“This measure only attacks the pocket of the good Brazilian who wants to acquire a firearm for personal defense”, said Lieutenant-Colonel Zucco (Republicanos-DF). “Nowadays, in Brazil, the only person who can have a gun is a criminal, with due approval from the federal government.”

The decree amends the previous act, dated July 29, 2022, published by then-president Jair Bolsonaro, which had reduced the IPI rate on these items to 29.25%. “Disarming the population and increasing taxes are measures taken by dictatorships and greedy people”, said deputy Messias Donato (Republicanos-ES). “Taking guns away from law-abiding citizens and keeping them in the hands of criminals directly contributes to an increase in deaths and insecurity.”

For Nicoletti (União-RR), the decree has a direct impact on the production chain. “This decree causes obvious losses to the entire production chain, which ranges from manufacturing to final sale to the consumer. It can lead to unemployment and bankruptcies,” he said.

In a note, Palácio do Planalto reported that the federal government’s estimate is that the measure has the potential to raise a total of R$1.1 billion between 2024 and 2026, with R$342 million in 2024, R$377 million in 2025 and R$414 million in 2026.

For deputy Sergeant Gonçalves (PL-RN), the measure is a “persecution” against the CACs. “This decree is yet another persecution by Lula of the CACs (hunters, shooters and collectors). This class has to go through rigorous steps to gain access to a firearm to protect themselves and their family,” he said.

Since Lula returned to the Presidency, the Planalto has tightened control over weapons and ammunition. For this reason, the Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, became the main target of the Public Security Commission, which repeatedly summons the minister.

Dino has already absented himself from the commission twice, citing insecurity in front of the deputies. Brazil has 803 thousand CACs, according to data from July this year. The segment grew exponentially thanks to measures taken by former president Bolsonaro.