Late last April the Brazilian Congress voted an important victory for research in Brazil. Senators overturned former president Jair Bolsonaro’s total veto to the project that allows for income tax deduction of donations made to health programs focused on cancer patients and people with disabilities.

The project will now be reestablished, allowing citizens to deduct from their income taxes all donations and sponsorships made to Pronon and Pronas up to calendar year 2025. For companies, deduction will be possible until calendar year 2026. In both cases, the limit for donations is 1% of the income tax due, and the resources must be destined to the National Program of Support to Oncological Care (Pronon) and/or to the National Program of Support to Healthcare for People with Disabilities (Pronas/PCD).

Since 2017 Fiotec has been one of the accredited institutions in the programs, and with the former president’s veto, it had to give up submitting six project proposals last year. Projects Analyst Renata Corrêa says that since the accreditation Fiotec has already had five projects approved in the programs, of which three are already under way. “We have a history of submission of research projects focused on the study of new therapeutic possibilities to treat cancer and rare diseases that cause visual, auditory and motor disabilities”, she added.

Fiotec represents Fiocruz in the submission of projects through Pronon and Pronas, and now that the veto has been overturned the Foundation is already pre-selecting new research that will be submitted as soon as public calls are open, said Corrêa.

Mobilization to resume the project
Fiotec’s Projects Analyst is part of a committee created to suggest improvements in Pronon and Pronas regulation. With the veto, according to Corrêa, the group mobilized to send a letter to the transition team in the Health Ministry of the current Federal Government, to congressmen and congresswomen, and to senators, explaining the importance and relevance of the programs for the quality of life of the Brazilian population.

The committee is made up of members of the Health Team of the Brazilian Association of Fund Raisers (ABCR), of which Corrêa is a member.

Read the text of Law No. 14,564, of 4 May 2023, which establishes income tax deduction to donations to Pronon and Pronas.

With information from the Federal Senate portal.