In Pará, operation at fuel stations combats tax infractions
Agencies of the Interinstitutional Committee for Asset Recovery of Pará (Cira) and other institutions joined forces to curb violations of economic and tax order
The Interinstitutional Committee for Asset Recovery of the State of Pará (Cira/PA) launched, this Wednesday (26), a tax inspection operation directed at the fuel trade segment, in several municipalities in Pará. The action involved the participation of the Attorney General's Office of the State (PGE), the Public Ministry of the State (MPPA), the State Department of Finance (Sefa), and the Civil Police, in addition to the support of the Consumer Justice Promoter's Office.
“Today's action was an operation organized by Cira, aimed at curbing acts of violation of economic and tax order. This action is part of a national effort focused on the fuel sector. And Cira works in an integrated manner. New operations will be undertaken in other sectors of the economy. In the case of today's operation, it was directed at the fuel sector,” explained Jair Marocco, attorney for the State of Pará and president of Cira/PA.
In addition to the agencies that make up Cira/PA, the operation, coordinated by the Consumer Justice Promoter's Office for Crimes against the Tax Order of Belém (PJCCOT), mobilized representatives from the Attorney General's Office, the intelligence service of Sefa, the Integrated Investigation Center (CI) of MPPA, the Police Intelligence Center (NIP), and the Military Police.
According to the president of the Committee, the PGE acted strategically in providing legal guidance on asset recovery measures and in supporting actions aimed at safeguarding the state treasury.
“The central objective of the operation is to ensure the economic-tax order in the State, protecting both the consumer and free competition, which is often harmed by tax evasion. The initiative also reinforces the asset recovery policy conducted by Cira, working to ensure that diverted resources return to the public power and are directed towards policies aimed at reducing social and regional inequalities,” added the attorney.
Indications of infractions – According to preliminary surveys conducted by tax intelligence, indications of serious irregularities were identified at fuel stations located in Belém and Ananindeua (in the Metropolitan Region), and Tucuruí and Marabá (in southeastern Pará). Among the suspicious practices is the issuance of exit invoices without the corresponding proof of the entry of goods, a situation that, in addition to preventing advance taxation by tax substitution, compromises the collection of the tax due on sales.
The preliminary investigation also verified that some fuel stations recorded commercial activity significantly higher than declared in the Payment Methods Information, a fact that warranted further investigation.
“During today's operation, measures were taken to curb infractions. This inspection action is important to ensure fiscal regularity and the compliance of economic operators in the fuel distribution chain, preventing acts of evasion and harm to consumers,” reinforced Jair Marocco.
Fuel inspection – In parallel with the tax investigation, the Consumer Justice Promoter's Office activated, during the operation, the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro) and the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) to verify the quality of the fuels sold at the inspected stations and the compliance of the pumps used by the establishments.
The Interinstitutional Committee for Asset Recovery of the State of Pará is a working group established by Decree No. 1,954, published on January 5, 2018, with the aim of acting in an integrated manner in the collection of credits registered in the active debt, recovering illegally obtained assets and rights through judicial and administrative actions. It also acts in the investigation and repression of crimes against the tax order and money laundering, with a special focus on asset recovery, promoting actions that result in the administrative, civil, and criminal accountability of those involved.
