The Committee on Economic Development, Commerce and Industry approved on Wednesday (9), an authorization for the Executive Branch to create an Export Processing Zone (ZPE) in Marabá, Pará. The measure is provided in substitutive of Deputy Jurandil Juarez (PMDB-AP) to the Bill 5375/09 of Deputy Giovanni Queiroz (PDT-PA). The original text had created the ZPE while the substitutive only authorizes its creation.

A ZPE is a free trade area, destined to companies installation directed to goods production to be commercialized exclusively abroad. Authorized companies to operate at this regime are exempted of taxes.

For the author, Deputy Jurandil Juarez, the National Congress should only authorize ZPE and not determine directly its creation, otherwise being questioned. "At the merit, there is neither the damage to the proposal nor, even less, to the people of the region", he says.

Juarez emphasized that Marabá has been an important economic center, and its privileged location, at Tocantins and Itacaiunas river confluence, demonstrates that the city has conditions to be a ZPE.

The bill will be analyzed by other committees.

Translation-Grupo Solucion-SP Language/Márcia Regina Monteiro