Photo: Marcello Casal Jr/Agência Brasil
Based on the new law on food vouchers and meal vouchers, the Central Bank published a rule removing food voucher cards from its payment system – of which they were no longer part – from cards linked to the PAT (Programa de Alimentos do Worker).
Thus, companies that work with this type of card no longer need to follow specific BC rules, such as the capital requirement. According to the Bank, this tends to bring more competitiveness to the sector.
For Abrasel, this is a natural movement, within the process of optimizing benefit programs brought about by the new law.
“Abrasel receives this decision without surprises. Over the past year, the Central Bank itself, in meetings attended by the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Labor and meal ticket companies and workers, had already stated that it was not up to them to regulate. This is because it is a government program, with incentives in some circumstances, including tax, with regulations that go beyond those linked to currency and means of payment”, says Paulo Solmucci, executive president of Abrasel.
“With the definitive sanction of the law, it further complements the rules that had already been established by the government since the decree of November 2021. We understand that the Central Bank makes it clear, with this rule, that these are programs that have objectives and norms that must be conducted by Organs appropriate bodies, in particular, the Ministry of Labor”, completes Solmucci.
Source: Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants (Abrasel)1