Government studies dirty list and credit cut for companies that practice electoral harassment
Minister of Labor states that the proposal, still under study, would make the Central Bank notify the financial system about punished companies.
BY THE X-TRADER NEWS NEWSROOM · REPORTING FROM ESTADÃO · 2 MIN
The federal government is considering creating a list of companies caught in electoral harassment, with restricted access to credit for those that have proven the practice. The announcement was made by the Minister of Labor and Employment, Luiz Marinho, at a press conference this Wednesday, 28th, according to Estadão.
The proposal combines two instruments. The first is public disclosure, which, in the minister's view, would serve to show society which companies were committing illegal acts against workers. The second is financial punishment: companies that qualify could also suffer credit restrictions.
According to the design described by Marinho, the Central Bank would be informed about the punishment and would pass on the information to the entire financial network in the country. In practice, the company would be prevented from taking any public credit, which expands the scope of the measure beyond labor inspection.
The topic brings together two sensitive issues. On the one hand, there is the fight against pressure on workers during election periods. On the other hand, there is the State's ability to apply financial sanctions to companies, which requires clear rules, robust evidence and the right to defense.
The most important point is what is not yet known. The measure is under study, and Estadão's report does not provide proof criteria, deadlines or the procedure by which a company would enter the list or leave it.
What changes for the investor
If the rule moves forward, the most direct effect would fall on listed companies, which would lose access to public credit and could face more difficulty in financing themselves in the market, if information circulates widely among financial institutions. For the investor, the risk is less in the list itself and more in the uncertainty about who enters, based on what evidence and with what possibility of appeal. When criteria are vague, it becomes more difficult to assess a company's credit risk. It is worth monitoring the regulations, if they come, and the way in which the Central Bank and financial institutions would apply the restriction. This analysis does not predict prices or suggest buying or selling assets.
Automatically translated from Portuguese.
