Committee of Foreign Affairs and National Defense approved in this Wednesday (04), minimum reduction values of insurance coverage applicable to passengers’ international transport highway and cargo between Brazil and Guyana. The change is predicted in amendment of the existing agreement between the two countries on the subject, signed up on June of 2009 in Guyana.

According to the original treaty, companies able to perform the international highway transport are forced to contract insurances in their own country with insurance companies that have agreements with companies of the other country, for paying of possible indemnities.

However, Guyana’s government observed that predicted values through the agreement, higher than those of internally charged in the country would create some difficulties for Guyanese transport companies and compromise international transport. Negotiations between Brazil and Guyana were started thus, to reduce values, which resulted into an amendment being analyzed in the Chamber.

The Rapporteur, Deputy Nilson Mourão, recommended the amendment approval, forwarded by the Executive to the Congress in the form of Message 913/09. According to him, the measure will intensify Brazil and Guyana relations and contribute for developing the North border of the Country.

The text, continued Mourão, is also agreement with Brazilian external policy guidelines of privileging South and Latin America integration. “Integration between Brazil and Guyana would allow us to develop Brazilian export outlet for North America and Caribbean. There are also many Brazilian miners in Guyana", Mourão said.

Values
Indemnization values established by the amendment are the following:

For damage caused to non-transported third parties
- death and personal damage: 7.5 thousand dollars per person;
- material damages: 6 thousand dollars per person;
- death and personal damage: 45 thousand per accident;
- material damages: 36 thousand dollars per accident.

For damage to passengers
- death/personal damage: 7.5 thousand dollars per person;
- material damages: 500 dollars per passenger;
- death/personal damage: 75 thousand dollars per accident;
- material damages: 10 thousand dollars per accident.

Yet according the amendment, liability insurance covered by insurance companies from the country origin, since they have an agreement with insurance companies of the other country for finishing and payment of indemnities will be considered valid. The measure makes easy insurance hiring in the origin country of the transporters and payment of possible indemnities.

Process
Message has been transformed into legislative decree project, and will be still analyzed by Committees of Traffic and Transports; Constitution and Justice; Citizenship and also by the Plenary.

Translation - Grupo Solución/SP Language – Márcia Regina Monteiro Ferreira