The largest consumer of contraband products in the country, the State creates a parliamentary front to combat activity

Last year alone, the São Paulo government lost more than R $ 3,1 billion in taxes due to the smuggling of tobacco, auto parts, electronics, drinks and fuels. The State is the national champion of contraband products and also one of the main centers of distribution of these goods to the rest of the country.

The money that the State failed to collect in 2016 would give to build 26 new hospitals or 107 new CEUs. In order to stop these losses and fight crime, the Legislative Assembly created in June the State Parliamentary Front to Combat Smuggling, led by state deputy Jorge Caruso (PMDB). “It is clear that an important part of this struggle has to be fought on Brazilian borders, as we need to close the doors for the illegal entry of products from Paraguay. But another important front of action must be combating trade in these goods in our cities ”, justifies Caruso. “This is the responsibility of state governments and city halls, which already have several mechanisms to achieve this objective, whether in the area of ​​intelligence and repression, or tax policies that remove from smuggled products their main advantage over those manufactured legally in the country: the price . ”
The Parliamentary Front also intends to propose laws to reinforce the fight against crime, demand more repressive action from the executive branch and take the discussion to the whole society through mobilization actions and public debates. “To fight against smuggling in the State is to fight for citizenship and for the realization of a reality desired by the entire population of São Paulo”, remembers ETCO's executive president, Edson Vismona.