President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) was criticized on social media after claiming, on the morning of this Friday (19), that he reduced the tax on whey protein, a whey-based supplement used by athletes and gym enthusiasts. Excited, the Chief Executive also posted a montage in which he appears with the body of a bodybuilder.
“Poor people don’t eat Whey Protein”, criticized an internet user on his Twitter profile. “Instead of bone soup, we can have Whey Protein, which costs almost nothing and anyone has access. Long live!”, joked another.
In response to the negative reaction, Bolsonaro stated that he had already determined the reduction of the food tax. “Taxes on basic food items have been reduced and zeroed continuously since 2020 to combat the effects of the ‘stay at home that the economy sees later’ and the war”, said the president, criticizing the measures to contain the coronavirus.
Yesterday, in his weekly live, one of the first topics of the president’s live broadcast was precisely the reduction of the tax on whey protein concentrate. The moment generated an argument between Bolsonaro and an assistant.
The president said that the rate “went from 11% to 0% and that helps people who work out”. A person behind the cameras contested Bolsonaro, saying the tax would be reduced to 4%, not zeroed. “Don’t come from the van, stay in your own place, I’m looking in front of me”, replied the president.
“Sports nutrition food supplements [foram] from 12% to 0%, which went from 11% to 4% is lactal. Did I ask you anything?” he continued.
Bolsonaro’s announcement is a measure to broaden his electoral scope. “The Federal Government has zeroed import taxes on food supplements, such as whey protein, creatine, BCAAs and multivitamins, and various sports nutrition items, in addition to reducing taxes on various other items from 11.2 to 4%, such as dairy proteins and Albumin,” he wrote on twitter.
In an interview with the Flow Podcast last week, he nods to the so-called Gen Z electorate (people who are 16 to 26 years old in 2022), and saluted gamers, noting that he reduced the import tax on consoles, accessories and games. August’s Genial/Quaest survey shows that, among the young public, the intention to vote for the president went from 25% in July to 31% now.
The intention to vote for former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in this group fell from 53% to 44% in the same period. To try to reverse the fall, PT met on Wednesday (17) with a commission of professionals linked to the digital games sector in Brazil, which presented the candidate for the Presidency of the Republic with a document with government proposals for the area.
On his Twitter profile, Lula spoke about the meeting and the suggestions he received to strengthen the electronic games sector. “Video gaming is not just entertainment, it’s also culture, employment and technological development,” she said.
Source: Folhapress
