In a clash with the opposition in the Chamber of Deputies, the Minister of Finance, Dario Durigan, stated, this Wednesday (17), that Brazilian workers today pay less taxes in the country. Opposition parliamentarians accuse the government of increasing the tax burden. "The worker, who is earning a salary, pays less tax in Brazil. The worker who earns up to R$7,350 per month, if we take our universe of Brazilian citizens, is more than 90%", stated the minister. Related news: Durigan criticizes PEC that gives autonomy to the BC for creating “new Power”. Commitment is not letting bombs harm the country, says Durigan. Durigan cited the Income Tax exemption project for those earning up to R$5,000, with a reduction in income tax for those earning up to R$7,350, as an example of a government measure to reduce the tax burden on Brazilian workers. “[Our work at the Treasury] was to ensure that we had a reduction in taxes for those who consume, the poorest, with a fair increase, not an indiscriminate increase, but a fair increase, correcting the distortion of those who can pay, those who have economic capacity and, in our view, did not contribute what was due”, added the head of the economic team, who replaced minister Fernando Haddad. >> Follow the Agência Brasil channel on WhatsApp Having been in office for three months, Dario Durigan responded to criticism from the deputy leader of the opposition, deputy Evair Vieira de Melo (Republicanos-ES), who stated that the government would be increasing the tax burden with “new taxes”, including the taxation of exclusive funds from large investors. "What increased? Bet owners pay more, those who have a closed fund [for large investors] pay more, businessmen who received funding subsidies are paying a little more", quoted the minister, remembering that online betting companies (bets) were exempt from taxes in previous governments. For Durigan, the measures adopted by the government, in relation to taxes, were taken with the aim of achieving tax justice. "It is legitimate for anyone who has an investment in a tax haven, for anyone who has an investment in a closed-end fund in the country to pay taxes like other people, like workers pay, like you pay. It doesn't seem to me to be a tax drive, but rather a measure of equality", he added. Brazilian economy The Finance Minister also defended the current trajectory of the Brazilian economy, stating that the results of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation and employment are improving. In the first quarter of the year, GDP grew 1.1%, surprising the market positively, with a 3.5% growth in fixed capital formation, which are the resources invested in machinery and equipment that increase the country's productive capacity. "It is the biggest growth [in fixed capital] in a quarter compared to the previous quarter that we have had in recent years. This shows that, despite interest rates in Brazil being high — and this is a problem that we have to face —, we have managed to make the Brazilian economy generate good results, including from an investment point of view", he assessed. Durigan also commented that, despite still worrying the government, inflation is at a “historic low” for a presidential term. "Inflation is always a concern, but, in this presidential term, it will remain at the country's historic low. Of course, you always have to be careful, as the war [in the Middle East] disrupted a series of global chains, especially fuel, but inflation is at a historic low," he said. The fuel price subsidy and the budget contingency of R$23 billion this year were highlighted by the Minister of Finance as measures to control the country's inflation. Agribusiness debts Approved in the Senate plenary last week, the bill (PL) 5122 of 2023 to refinance agribusiness debts (Refis do Agro) worries the government, which estimates that the proposal will have a budgetary impact of R$140 billion over 13 years. Defenders of the proposal in the Chamber asked the minister not to treat the project as a “bomb agenda”, due to the impact on the budget. In response, Durigan stated that the government is interested in reaching an agreement on the issue. "The government will find a solution, together with Congress, to extend a helping hand and help Brazilian agribusiness. What is my concern? And I'll say it again, it's that we got the dose of aid wrong," he said. According to Durigan, the proposal approved in the Senate can be used by those who do not need refinancing. According to him, only 5% of rural producers with debts to Banco do Brasil are in default. The minister added that “95% of Brazilian agribusiness is doing well.”