Source: Bahia Já - Salvador / BA - 19/04/2011

Expand the fight against tax evasion and help promote competitive ethics. These are the objectives of the Cooperation Agreement signed between the Government of Bahia, through the Secretariat of Finance (Sefaz), and the Brazilian Institute of Ethics in Competition (ETCO) which resulted in the development of the BI NF-e System, or Intelligence System based on Electronic Invoices.

The BI NF-e was delivered for use by Sefaz this Tuesday (19), in a ceremony at the Governorate. The event was attended by Governor Jaques Wagner, Secretary of Finance Carlos Martins, as well as representatives from ETCO, such as the Chairman of the Board of Directors Hoche Pulcherio, and Microsoft, a company that, together with the Secretary of Finance, developed the system.

BI is an important tool in the inspection of segments required to issue the Electronic Invoice and, consequently, will also contribute to increase the collection of the Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services (ICMS), the main tax administered by Sefaz. Currently, 14 thousand Bahian taxpayers already use the NF-e, and in January of this year alone, they moved more than R $ 25 billion.

According to the Cooperation Term, signed in September 2009, after the development and implementation of the system, Sefaz committed to make available all the source codes and technical documentation to the other Brazilian Finance Departments that are interested in implementing the BI . So far, the states of Acre, Paraná, Sergipe, Maranhão, Rio Grande do Norte, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso and the Federal District have already requested the transfer of this system to Sefaz Bahia.

“Bahia understands that the fight against tax evasion is common to all states, hence the concern to develop a system that can be used by all, at no cost. It is with tax money that states finance education, security and health. This resource belongs to the population and with it, Brazil is moving towards becoming a more equal country ”, explained Finance Secretary Carlos Martins.

The technical and operational execution of the Cooperation Agreement takes place through a Steering Committee, whose members are part of the respective cooperative institutions. The Committee comprises two representatives appointed by ETCO, two by SEFAZ and one by the coordination of ENCAT (National Meeting of State Tax Coordinators and Administrators), an entity whose general and technical coordination is carried out by Sefaz Bahia's Tax Auditors.

“The development of this system results from the fiscal cooperation that is carried out between the States and other entities in Brazil, and the State of Bahia has continuously supported this work”, explained the general coordinator of ENCAT and fiscal auditor of Sefaz Bahia, Eudaldo Almeida.

According to the superintendent of Tax Administration at Sefaz, Cláudio Meirelles, “this is a fundamental system to help extract the information from the NF-e more quickly, offering an important tool for inspection, and the partnership with ETCO was fundamental. in that process. The concern with improving the business environment and combating tax evasion is permanent in the Finance Secretariat ”, says Meirelles.

“Since the implementation of the Electronic Invoice, whose adoption by the States had a great impact in reducing tax evasion in the country, this is the greatest achievement in the field of inspection and, we hope that it has the same acceptance by the State Governments that understand the importance of a healthy business environment for the country's economic growth ”, concluded Hoche Pulcherio, chairman of the ETCO Board of Directors.