Brazil: Deadlines for free flow toll regularization and contract suspensions

In Rio Grande do Sul, motorists have until November 16 to regularize overdue payments for the free flow electronic toll system. Paying these outstanding tariffs will ensure the definitive cancellation of fines generated since 2024, which are currently suspended due to a federal government measure. Approximately 979,000 tariffs remain pending in the state. The free flow system uses automatic identification via highway gantries, allowing vehicles to pass without stopping. Drivers with active tags are charged automatically, while others must manually check and pay for their passages.

Separately, the Court of Accounts of Santa Catarina (TCE-SC) has issued precautionary measures to suspend payments of up to R$ 80,000 made by the municipalities of Santa Rosa de Lima and Urussanga. The suspension follows the identification of irregularities in contracts with a specialized consultancy firm hired to recover tax and social security credits. The TCE-SC noted that the direct hiring without a bidding process lacked sufficient evidence of competition inviability and that the remuneration model, based on a percentage of recovered values, contradicts established court understandings.