Author: André Franco Montoro Filho *

Source: Tomorrow, 27/02/2008

The success of productive activities and growth
economic dependence on institutions, norms, uses and customs that provide
adequate incentives for the production of goods and services, that is, that there is a
good business environment. An essential component of this good environment is respect for
legislation. What we have unfortunately seen is the opposite: Brazil has a
centuries-old history of a widespread culture of transgressions.

With the redemocratization achieved in the 80s, as a natural, accompanied by the
exercise of freedom, public opinion begins to perceive in a different way
clear and condemn transgressive behavior, especially by authorities
public. This perceived lack of ethics that derives from the culture of transgressions
threatens Brazilian democracy and undermines our social and
economic. It is essential to find ways to overcome this culture.

In August 2007, we from the Brazilian Institute of Ethics in Competition, in
partnership with the Fernando Henrique Cardoso Institute, we promoted the seminar
Culture of Transgressions - Lessons from History. The purpose of the meeting was
responding if it overcomes this culture is a condition for development. Bolivar
Lamounier, Joaquim Falcão, José Murilo de Carvalho and Roberto DaMatta, four
brilliant thinkers of our time, reflected on the matter and said that
although deviations in conduct have crossed centuries it is possible to turn this
Yes I play. We must all fight against these evils.

I invite you, the reader, to reflect with us on the subject. The book “Culture
of Transgressions - Lessons of History ”, the result of this debate meeting, will be
available for free download on the ETCO website from March 1 (www.etc.org.br). Good reading!

* André Franco Montoro Filho is executive president of ETCO - Instituto
Brazilian Competition Ethics Committee since January 2007. Montoro Filho also
he was president of BNDES.