Brazil Senate committee moves forward bill to streamline research imports

The Senate's Commission of Economic Affairs (CAE) approved a substitute version of Bill OPL 2.374/2019, originally proposed by Senator Romário (PL‑RJ), to simplify the import of scientific and technological equipment. The amendment to Law 8.010 expands federal tax exemptions, removes previous limits on the number of exempt imports, and eliminates provisions that required a new researcher registry, instead using the existing CNPq database. It also obliges CNPq to regularly report import data to the Federal Revenue Service and the foreign trade board, and permits accredited researchers to bring equipment in their luggage. The law will take effect 180 days after publication. In the same session, Senator Esperidião Amin (PP‑SC) requested information from the Central Bank about the use of former Banco do Estado de Santa Catarina (Besc) securities in operations involving Banco Master, seeking oversight of the national financial system.