Moeten we ons hier nog zorgen om maken na verkiezing van Lula gisteren? Of heeft AMG hier geen last van?
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian presidential frontrunner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is considering raising royalties on certain mining projects if elected, a campaign adviser told Reuters, likely affecting iron ore giant Vale SA and other multinationals.
Under the proposal drafted by mining specialists working for Lula's Workers' Party (PT), the government would charge an increased royalty rate - known as a "special stake" - on minerals of particularly high value, whether due to geological characteristics or market demand, according to a party geologist and documents seen by Reuters.
The idea, which has not yet been officially adopted by the Lula campaign, was described to Reuters by Claudio Scliar, a geologist and member of the PT committee in charge of mineral and energy-related matters.
It was unclear how Lula would make a decision on the proposal and whether he would accept it.
Brazil's Congress discussed such a royalty plan during the 2011 to 2016 government of leftist President Dilma Rousseff, but it received strong pushback from industry and was shelved.
The proposal underlines one of the main ideological faultlines of Brazil's presidential campaign.
Lula, a former union leader who governed Brazil from 2003 until 2011, has frequently said the state should play a more robust role in the economy. Many of his proposals, such as new taxes on dividend and interest payments, have been received coldly by the market.
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"There are some mineral deposits with exceptional characteristics and that the international market wants a lot," said Scliar. "As the minerals belong to the state, the state should benefit."