Author: Ceila Santos

Source: Decision Report - São Paulo / SP - GOVERNMENT - 26/05/2010

The Brasil ID (Radio Frequency Identity) project is a partnership between the Ministry of Science and Technology and ENCAD (National Meeting of State Tax Coordinators and Administrators) that provides for a pilot to assess the possibilities through the use of RFID technology for fiscal control on the roads. The resources are not yet closed, but the initiative already has about R $ 10 million foreseen in the budget.

The objective seems simple: equip around 10% of the tax posts with antennas to test the use of the chip's encapsulation in different locations (packaging, cargo, seal, plate) of the truck and the reading through radio frequency in order to define a national and international communication protocol standard. That is, test the RFID interoperability based on the needs of the tax authorities.

It is worth remembering that among the tax demands there are already projects such as NF-e (electronic invoice), CT-e (electronic bill of lading), MC- e (electronic cargo manifest) and the SINIAV electronic board. Geraldo Marcelo Cabral de Souza, leader of the Brasil ID project at ENCAT, who presented the project during the Conip this week, explains that the idea is to precisely test the possibilities of integrating all the processes already initiated by the Treasury, in addition to cooperating with other obligations already established in some sectors, such as Drug Tracking, imposed by Anvisa.

The differential of the Brasil ID project in relation to the other projects mentioned is that in addition to fiscal control, the partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology also brings assumptions aimed at fostering the RFID industry in Brazil in order to reduce the cost of using chips and other equipment related to technology.

One of the proposals is even to fund researchers focused on the RFID area to integrate them with user companies. Detail: the project aims to finance, through economic subsidies, even usage practices within companies.

But the project is not only aimed at investing in the development of the IT industry, which would already have an impact on the international innovation ranking. There is also an expectation of creating a model based on the pilot of business possibilities in the service area with a focus on supplies and logistics.

There is no doubt that the project is ambitious due to the integration it proposes between government, private initiative, universities (research), industry and services. But the fact of being born with two integrated areas of the government can be a good start to articulate so many diverse agents. The goal is to finish the pilot in 2011 and the pilot's manager will be the Advanced Research Center Wernher von Braun.