The president of ETCO - Brazilian Institute of Ethics in Competition, Evandro Guimarães, was one of the speakers at the forum Smuggling in Brazil, carried out by the newspaper Folha de S. Paul on March 18th and 19th. In a panel with lawyer Ives Gandra Martins and former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission Roberto Teixeira da Costa, the president of ETCO spoke about the damage caused by smuggling and the need for more effective measures to combat it. "We are tired of seeing the problem managed with words," said Guimarães.

He cited the various damages that smuggling causes to the country, such as unfair competition with companies that fulfill their obligations, the loss of tax collection, the corruption of public agents and the health risks of the population. "From 30% to 40% of disposable syringes arrive in the country illegally," he said. "Toys are sold without undergoing inspection by the organs that protect the safety of children."

The ETCO president recalled that smuggling fuels organized crime. "It is a public security problem," he said. In some segments, according to him, the high tax burden ends up making illegal trade more profitable than drug trafficking, but with lower penalties, which ends up making it even more difficult to fight it. Guimarães also complained about the Brazilian government's “lenient stance” in relation to Paraguayan smuggling, which supplies much of Brazil's consumer markets.

ETCO was one of the sponsors of the forum held by Folha de S. Paul. The summary of the debates is available at event website and the report on the panel with the participation of Evandro Guimarães can be accessed here