Amazonian bench indicates former lawmaker Bosco Saraiva for Suframa superintendence

Mencius Melo – From Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS (AM) – The parliamentary group of the State of Amazonas, in Congress, indicated the former federal lawmaker of the same state, Bosco Saraiva (PSD), to be the new superintendent of the Manaus Free Trade Zone (Suframa), after two months of vacancy in the position. The information was given firsthand to the show Boa Noite, Amazônia, of Rede Onda Digital, on Wednesday, 1°. The Amazonian bench is composed of eight federal lawmakers and three senators.

The show Boa Noite, Amazônia is hosted by journalists Álvaro Corado and Paula Litaiff. During an interview about a meeting in Brasília, Bosco revealed: “What’s new about this (Suframa’s Superintendence) is that our federal bench, meeting this afternoon in Brasília, unanimously confirmed my name as Suframa’s superintendent”, said the former congressman, who added:

“Of course it is an honor, especially when it comes to a unanimous nomination by the three senators and eight deputies. In a situation like this it is impossible for you to say no”, he declared when saying that he confirmed the invitation for the position.

The president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) will have to endorse the indication of the deputies and senators of Amazonas to start the nomination process and publication of the name of the new superintendent of Suframa. Lula is an ally of senator Omar Aziz (PSD-AM), leader of the state’s bench in Congress.

Without a titular for almost two months, Suframa has become the target of a silent dispute between the PSD of Senator Omar Aziz and the PT of Sinésio Campos. The name, until then most quoted to assume the authority, was the former federal lawmaker José Ricardo Wendling (PT) but, so far, prevailed the political strength of Senator Omar Aziz, who proved to be more articulate with the bench of the state in Congress.

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Currently, who is in office, on an interim basis, is the career server of the autarchy, Marcelo Pereira. He has already responded temporarily by the body in December last year. At the time, the then superintendent Algacir Polsin, a military appointee of former president Jair Bolsonaro, appointed him executive assistant superintendent.

Marcelo Pereira replaces Ana Maria Souza, also a career civil servant and economist, who was in charge of the institution on an interim basis until February 16. Ana Maria was announced in January, in the first weeks of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government.

Technical x political

In an interview to CENARIUM MAGAZINE, on the 27th, the interim superintendent, Marcelo Pereira, said that the portfolio is strategic for the federal government, and that Lula is in a dilemma as to the choice of a technical or political name.

“The Superintendence of the Manaus Free Trade Zone is strategic for the federal government. So much so that president Lula has guaranteed that, within the tax reform, the Free Zone is untouchable, it needs to maintain its competitive advantages and comparative advantages. We cannot deny that the Superintendence of the ZFM is strategic, politically, despite being very technical. The federal government, it is, at this moment, acting on this decision of bringing in a political name or keeping a technical name. So, there is this dilemma within the federal government”, Marcelo pointed out.

Tax Reform

The Industrial Pole of Manaus (PIM) has, approximately, 500 high-tech industries, generating more than half a million jobs, direct and indirect, mainly in the electro-electronic, computer goods, and two-wheeled vehicles segments. One of the central agendas of the economy is the discussions of the new tax reform. According to Marcelo Pereira, none of the proposals in Congress PEC 110/2019 and PEC 45/2019 address the political benefits of the Manaus Free Trade Zone.

“None of the proposals in the House and Senate meet us, on the contrary, attacks the competitiveness of the MFTz and that is why Suframa is available and in contact with the technical teams of the federal government and our parliamentary bench that is essential to this discussion. There is no doubt that our eight deputies make a lot of noise in Brasilia, they fight, effectively, for the MFTz and we are here to give all the support for this caucus and for the State Government that is also in this discussion. If someone says the perfect theorem of tax reform, which will not reach the MFTz, that we present at this time, it does not exist, “said the interim superintendent.

Read more: On the eve of Suframa’s anniversary, political impasse is an imbroglio for Lula to appoint superintendent