Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Norte

State deputy José Dias (PSDB) used the time allocated for speakers during the plenary session of the Legislative Assembly of RN to reflect on the Fecomércio report published in the media conditioning the drop in sales in Rio Grande do Norte commerce to the increase in ICMS. The parliamentarian read excerpts from the report and once again criticized the measure announced by the State Government that intends to maintain the ICMS rate at 20%. The leader of the Government in the House, Francisco do PT, countered the speaker.

“We need to stop this state government’s fundraising fury. The increase in the tax paid by the taxpayer leads commerce to increase the price of goods. The tax is an invasion of the people’s economy, because they are the ones who will pay,” he argued.

José Dias classified the movement carried out by mayors and Femurn to approve the project being processed in the House as “blackmail and violence”. “It is not a valid argument to blackmail a representative of the people. The majority of the Assembly has shown that it does not agree [com a manutenção da alíquota do ICMS em 20%]. I am sure that this Assembly will not bow again to pressure, violence from the State Government that uses all possible methods and arguments”, he said.

In an aside, Francisco do PT countered the dean’s speech. “It is interesting how some deputies are accusing Femurn and the mayors on the ICMS issue, but in 2015 Femurn made the same movement, the mayors were inside this House, and some deputies who make this accusation, accepted the mayors’ plea in 2015. They did not treat it as blackmail and voted in favor of the increase. Changing opinions is something that democracy allows and I respect. But what cannot be said is that today it is blackmail and in 2015 they were in favor of the movement”, he argued.

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