R$ 12 million collected from the Service Tax, Rota do Oeste assists cities along the BR-163/MT during the pandemic

Continuing to provide services on the BR-163/MT during the coronavirus pandemic and keeping the work fronts, Rota do Oeste Concessionaire ensured the transfer of R$ 12 million to 19 cities along the highway, in the first half of 2020, ensuring the balance of public accounts and the continuity of important activities such as health assistance.

The amount refers to Service Taxes (ISS) generated by the works carried out on the BR-163/MT highway and the collection at the nine toll plazas on the stretch of km 850.69 under concession. How the transport and infrastructure sectors were considered essential in the period of social isolation, Rota do Oeste continued to perform all activities without interruption. This reflected on the maintenance of the collection and transfer of funds.

With a population of approximately 18,000 inhabitants and an economy focused on family farming, the city of Rosario Oeste (located in the central region of the State) is one of the cities benefited by BR-163, receiving of R$ 761 thousand in the first semester of this year alone. According to the city mayor, João Balbino, the amount passed on by the Rota do Oeste has always been important for public accounts and became more relevant during the pandemic.

“When we go through a time like this in 2020, which reflects in a decrease in the transfer of funds by the Federal and State governments, ensuring the maintenance of our own collections is essential to achieve balance of accounts. The amount passed on by the Concessionaire is a relevant resource, And makes a big difference to the city. The amount is being used to pay suppliers, servers and investments in the health area, especially at this time,” he explains.

As for Rosário Oeste, the revenue generated by BR-163/MT for the city of Juscimeira (city of south Mato Grosso) is important. This year, the city government received R$ 327,000, which was used for day-to-day expenses. “The transfer made by Rota do Oeste is important to add to the administration’s revenue, especially at this time of pandemic”, says mayor Moisés dos Santos. The city has just over 11,000 inhabitants and the collection decreased with the restrictions caused by the coronavirus.

It is important to highlight that besides direct and indirect improvements promoted in the cities that ‘cut’ through the BR-163, the arrival of Rota do Oeste in Mato Grosso brought development and employment along the stretch under concession. Currently, the company has more than 700 direct members working on the highway and there is still the generation of indirect jobs as a result of the subcontracting of service provisions companies.

Calculation – Since the company’s arrival in Mato Grosso in 2014, the public administrators in these cities have received more than R$ 135 million, which could be invested in education, health, infrastructure, and other areas, according to administration’s assessment.

The values are destined to the cities in two ways. The calculation for the transfer related to the collection of the toll considers the amount received in the nine toll plazas along the BR-163 highway. The total value is calculated based on the scope of the highway in each city and the percentage of ISS charged by the management. As for the ISS on outsourced service, the transfer considers the place where the companies carry out their activities.