Goiás industry leaders seek faster environmental licensing

Industry and agricultural leaders in Goiás met with state government officials to discuss reducing regulatory barriers for investments. The meeting included representatives from the Federation of Industries of the State of Goiás (Fieg), the Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of Goiás (Faeg), and the Cerradinho Group.

Key discussions focused on accelerating environmental licensing and water rights. The Cerradinho Group presented expansion plans for its industrial complex in Chapadão do Céu, involving corn sugar and ethanol production. A primary concern raised was the current one-year wait time for licensing eucalyptus areas for biomass. Industry leaders proposed specific procedures for large-scale planted forest projects to reduce timelines without compromising environmental oversight.

The State Secretariat for Environment and Sustainable Development (Semad) is working to reduce the analysis period for the Declaration of Enterprise Activity (DAE) from 70 to 30 days, potentially utilizing automation and artificial intelligence. Additionally, industry representatives suggested extending water rights terms to eight years and standardizing renewal processes.