Felipe Coutinho: Ivan Monteiro is lobbying to privatize Petrobras.
The president of Aepet (Association of Petrobras Engineers), Felipe Coutinho, denounces the risks of the onerous transfer bill, approved in the Chamber during the World Cup without public debate; "Such a measure is not foreseen in law nor in the onerous transfer contract, it is unprecedented. The proposal is harmful to both Petrobras and Brazil," he criticizes; according to him, the new president of the state-owned company, Ivan Monteiro, is lobbying parliamentarians to privatize the company; watch his interview.
TV 247 - The president of the Association of Petrobras Engineers (Aepet), Felipe Coutinho, explained in an interview with TV 247 the harmful effects of selling the five billion barrels produced by the pre-salt layer to multinational corporations, through a bill presented by Congressman José Carlos Aleluia (DEM) and approved in the Chamber of Deputies during the World Cup, without any social debate.
Coutinho explains what the onerous transfer means: "It is a right, a contract established between the Union and Petrobras, signed in 2010, which gives the state-owned company the right to produce five billion barrels of oil equivalent, a very significant volume, since Brazil's reserves are in the order of 12 billion barrels."
He points out that, since 2010, Petrobras' main focus has been investing in these fields that have the potential to produce five billion barrels of oil, and now, in 2018, it would be the time for the oil "harvest." "These investments project the pre-salt layer of the onerous transfer agreement to produce one million barrels per day," he explains.
The president of Aepet also states that the bill allows Petrobras to privatize up to 70% of these five billion barrels of pre-salt oil to the private sector. "Such a measure is not foreseen in law nor in the onerous transfer contract; it is unprecedented," he affirms.
"The new president of Petrobras, Ivan Monteiro, defends this project, saying it is positive for Petrobras. Aepet completely disagrees with this opinion; the proposal is harmful to both Petrobras and Brazil. The fact is that Ivan Monteiro is lobbying to privatize Petrobras," condemns Coutinho.
Coutinho denounces that Aleluia's bill was approved in the Chamber of Deputies during the World Cup, without any discussion with society, and that it is now going to the Senate. "That's why mobilization is fundamental to veto its advancement. We must pressure the president of the Senate, Eunício Lopes de Oliveira (MDB), so that the project is, at least, debated in the House," he argues.
Asked if oil could return to Brazilian hands, Coutinho states that it is not only possible, but urgent. "And this needs to be done starting on January 1st, 2019; it has to be a proposal from the presidential candidates," he emphasizes.
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