Source: Portal Fator Brasil

In a decade, Instituto collaborated for the evolution of the competitive ethics and for the reduction of the tolerance with the transgressions in the country business environment.

To celebrate its 10 years of operation, the Brazilian Institute of Ethics in Competition (ETCO) held yesterday, in São Paulo, an event that brought together members of the Board of Directors and Advisory Board, representatives of sectorial entities and executives from companies in various sectors. During the meeting, the main achievements made between 2003 and 2013 were recalled and the activities planned for the year were presented.

"The first decade of ETCO's existence changed the competition scenario in Brazil, paving the way for significant improvements in the business environment and the Brazilian economy," stated the Institute's executive president, Roberto Abdenur, at the opening of the event. Projects supported by ETCO were remembered, such as the electronic invoice (NF-e), and others in which it operates directly, such as the Cidade Livre de Pirataria program and the Underground Economy Index.

"ETCO works on causes that go beyond the interests of companies and sectors, but also serve the interests of Brazil," explained Abdenur. A clear example of this action was the promulgation of article 146-A, resulting from Constitutional Amendment nº 42/2003. The article provides that States, the Federal District and municipalities, in addition to the Union, institute differentiated taxation systems in order to prevent competitive imbalances caused by private actions that use the reduction of their tax costs to gain spurious competitive advantages. The article was a suggestion by ETCO, which is now working on the enactment of a complementary law, which is essential for its application.

Currently, ETCO has six sector cameras: soft drinks, tobacco, beer, fuels, technology and medicines. "But we hope to bring one or two more cameras to ETCO in the coming years," said Abdenur.

Events will mark the ten years of ETCO - Throughout 2013, events will be held to celebrate the Institute's first decade. For this, ETCO's new visual identity was presented on Wednesday.

“We are going to promote a reflection on the advances we have made so far,” said Heloísa Ribeiro, executive director of ETCO, referring to the 10 + 10 Debate Cycle, a retrospective of competitive ethics in Brazil and the prospects for the next decade.

Three meetings will be held: on June 6 in Rio de Janeiro, August 21 in Brasília and October 16 in São Paulo. All events will have representatives from state or federal governments and representatives from the private sector, such as businessman Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter in Brasília and Fábio Barbosa, president of Grupo Abril, in São Paulo. Registration will be free and places will be limited.

In addition, book launches will continue in 2013, as will ETCO's participation in important events that discuss the theme of business ethics and the economy in general.

ETCO Journalism Award - Another important new feature of ETCO for this year is the first edition of the ETCO Journalism Award, which will reward journalistic works that stimulate society's awareness of topics such as illegal trade, informality, piracy, the complexity of the tax system, and tax evasion and the impact of corruption on the economy.

They will be able to compete for the prize, whose winners will be known on November 7, 2013, reports published in newspapers, magazines, radio, television and electronic vehicles in the period between January 1, 2012 and August 1, 2013. * The rules can be consulted at www.etco.org/premio.

The Brazilian Institute of Ethics in Competition, ETCO, is a civil society organization of public interest (OSCIP) founded in 2003 with the objective of identifying, discussing, proposing and supporting actions, practices and projects that result in concrete improvement of the business environment in the Brazil. To this end, it acts to influence decision-makers to adopt measures aimed at reducing tax evasion, illegal trade and informality, in addition to actions to simplify the tax system and combat corruption and other misconduct. The institute seeks to maintain a strong presence in the Brazilian business and political circles in order to create mechanisms and tools that strengthen competitive ethics. There are three action strategies: to foster studies on the factors that encourage these deviations in conduct; propose and support initiatives, actions or changes in legal texts and administrative practices; and to develop and support actions to raise public awareness about the harmful social and economic effects and the dangers of these illegalities and social leniency with these deviations from ethical behavior.