A debt renegotiation program for micro and small businesses, modeled on Desenrola Brasil for individuals last year, is at an advanced stage of definition within the government.
The draft provisional measure is being evaluated by technicians of the economic sector of the government and the intention is to submit it this year for the signature of President Lula.
The current idea is to make available for renegotiation a credit volume of between R$1.7 and R$1.8 billion to finance the payment of debts which will be discounted through an auction on a digital platform. The loans will be protected by the Operations Guarantee Fund (FGO), managed by Banco do Brasil.
Credit operations are expected to have an interest rate of 1.53% per month (around 20% per year), a relatively cheap rate given the difficulty small businesses have in financing themselves. Payment must be made within 60 months, with a two-month grace period.
In the area of debtors, only small businesses (micro, small and MEI) will be able to access the platform to renegotiate their debts. Not only bank debts, but other types of debts, such as services, credit cards, among others, will be eligible.
On the creditors’ side, the platform is accessible regardless of the size of the company, that is, even large companies will have the opportunity to negotiate discounts for receiving defaulted debts. Despite this, small businesses will have the preference to close the deal on the platform in the event of a tie in the discounts offered.
The platform should also allow direct negotiation between creditors and debtors, for payment without bank financing, which could expand the size of the program.
Last year, after the Desenrola for individuals, the government created one for small businesses, but focusing only on debts with financial institutions. Now this applies to all types of defaulted debt, but auctions will be conducted in batches of sectors and debt terms.
Launched in 2023, Desenrola Brasil has reached a total of 15 million people by negotiating a debt of 53.2 billion reais. Despite a potential audience of around 23 million people, including MEIs, micro and small businesses, the new program, at least in its current version, will be much smaller, although it could represent a break for businesses in this election year.
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