Brazil launches 'Brasil Mais Simples' to cut bureaucracy and boost competitiveness

The Brazilian government announced the "Brasil Mais Simples" initiative on Thursday, 3 May, aimed at reducing bureaucracy, simplifying regulations and modernising public services. The programme was presented by Rodrigo Zerbone, executive secretary of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), and Pedro Ivo, secretary for Competitiveness and Regulatory Policy.

Key measures include the launch of a Unified Quality Infrastructure Portal and a Unified Foreign Trade Portal, which have cut average export times from 13 to 4.5 days and import times from 17 to 6.8 days. The "Destrava Brasil" project, coordinated by the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI), will modernise regulators using process reviews, normative improvements and artificial‑intelligence support. Inmetro announced a 15 % reduction in accreditation fees for labs and certification bodies and will issue around 1.2 billion digital anti‑counterfeit seals.

Additional components target workers: the "Mais Simples Trabalhador" programme provides a credit line that has already benefited about 10 million people, a virtual assistant (CeLesTe) that recorded over 500 k accesses, the "Facilita Brasil" platform for employers and unions, and the "Qualifica PRO" portal offering more than 29 k professional‑training opportunities. Zerbone said, "With Brazil Mais Simples we advance the construction of a more efficient, integrated and result‑oriented State."