By seven votes to three, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) reaffirmed, in a new judgment on Wednesday (23), the constitutionality of the contribution to the Fund for Assistance to Rural Workers (Funrural). In this way, the Fund’s liabilities continue to exist, as well as the collection of social security charges. The Supreme Court decision was one of the items that still brought legal insecurity to farmers.
Concerned with this scenario, the Parliamentary Front of Agriculture (FPA), along with entities from the productive sector, had already met with STF ministers Rosa Weber and Luís Roberto Barroso to address the issue. In order to guarantee legal certainty and predictability to rural producers, the FPA worked on the National Congress provisional measures and bills that culminated in Law 13606/2018, which instituted the Rural Tax Regularization Program (PRR), Funisural Refis.
For the president of the FPA, Ms. Tereza Cristina (DEM-MS), all the work that the Front could do has already been done, guaranteeing legal security to the rural producers by means of rules provided by law. The president recalled the achievements, such as a 40% reduction in contribution and a 100% discount on fines and interest. “It is widely known that the parliamentary articulation and entities of the productive sector have brought important advances in the process of conquests that guide the issue of Funrural,” says the deputy.
Other conditions guaranteed by the Law were the cascade collection, when the producer paid the tax in several stages of the chain; the installment payment of debts due up to August 30, 2017 and the remainder installments up to 176 times with a further 60 months for total discharge if the amount has not yet been settled. “What we tried to achieve with the MP was not whether the charge was valid or not. The main objective has always been to give the producer an alternative with a robust retroactive debt to be able to pay it with installment instruments, as provided by Law, “said the president.
The leader of the PSDB in the Chamber and former president of the FPA, Representative Nilson Leitão (MT), emphasizes that the mission of the Front was to soften the situation of the rural producer. “We made remission of fines, interest and all charges. The producers also had a reduction of the contribution, extended to legal producers. We did everything that was possible, “said the deputy who is one of the authors of PL 9.206 / 17, along with Deputy Zé Silva (SD-MG), which originated Law 13.606 / 18.