Petrobras' arguments for canceling Premium II are false, assures Danilo Forte.

Ceara 247 - Congressman Danilo Forte (PMDB-CE) said this Thursday, the 05th, that Petrobras' arguments for canceling the construction of the Premium II refinery in the state of Ceará are false. According to him, the demand for fuel derivatives throughout the Northeast region justifies the need for a refinery in the region. The statement occurred during the first speech by the PMDB member from Ceará in 2015 in the Ulysses Guimarães plenary of the Chamber of Deputies.

On January 28th, Petrobras announced in its latest financial report that, due to revenue losses in recent months indicating a drop in sales of petroleum products, the Premium II refinery construction project at the Port of Pecém would be removed from the company's investment plans. The same happened with the planned construction of the Premium I refinery in São Luís (MA). Part of the construction of the Abreu e Lima refinery in Pernambuco suffered the same fate.

GROWTH IN CONSUMPTION

To demonstrate that the arguments used by the state-owned company are not true, Congressman Danilo Forte pointed to some figures provided by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP). For example, the fact that the growth in consumption of all petroleum derivatives in the Northeast jumped from 81,67 million barrels/year in 2004 to 154,21 million barrels in 2014. Gasoline consumption in the Northeast alone jumped from 21,44 million to 48,99 million barrels/year in ten years.

“The arguments are flawed, from a technical point of view, especially at this opportune moment, because the project could give Ceará a lifeline for its economy, which is still so dependent on the agricultural sector, so afflicted and diminished with each passing drought, proving more and more that we need an economic alternative so that our state can thrive and Ceará can stop being a state that exports people, workers, and laborers to the rest of Brazil,” he pointed out.

NEW CPI

Concerned about the situation of Brazil's largest company, Danilo Forte also commented that he signed the new request to recreate the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) to investigate the various accusations of irregularities at Petrobras, with the aim of preserving the company. According to him, only a thorough investigation into the company's accounts will be able to save it.

“This is a reaffirmation. We all understand the moment Petrobras is going through, but the company is seeking to rediscover what was its dream, including mine, when I was an engineering student at the Federal University of Ceará, to once again be the largest Brazilian company. And, if there are irregularities, Ceará cannot suffer this loss. There was a loss due to the rampant corruption that occurred there. I signed the petition for the creation of this CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) so that the truth can be told to the people of Ceará. I signed the petition to find out in depth where Petrobras' resources were diverted from,” he said.

BUREAUCRAT

Despite being part of President Dilma's government's support base, the PMDB member, who is vying for the party's leadership nomination, is clear in his observation: Regardless of whether a parliamentarian is a government supporter or a member of the opposition, the current situation faced by the state-owned company requires responsibility towards the country. And for that very reason, he did not accept the statement by the Minister of Political Coordination, Pepe Vargas, threatening the government parliamentarians who signed the CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) with being left "with nothing but bread and water."

“And I will not accept, under any circumstances, the provocation of a state bureaucrat who, analyzing the CPI list, claims that he will persecute the parliamentarians who signed said list. Quite the contrary. These parliamentarians will be honored by the people who elected them. These parliamentarians will be recognized for the courage they showed,” he said.

“And yes, in a Legislative House whose basic premise is to legislate and oversee abuses in the constituted Powers, the Executive and Judicial branches, we have the obligation and commitment to do this work. It is this pride that the Chamber of Deputies has recovered. It is this pride that the Brazilian Parliament has recovered. And I am certain and convinced that, this time, we will not turn this plenary into a pizzeria. We will deepen these investigations and, for sure, give the guilty parties the punishment that the Brazilian people want,” he concluded.

FULL TEXT OF THE STATEMENT (audio attached)

MR. DANILO FORTE (Bloco/PMDB-CE. As Leader. Without speaker review.) - Thank you, our President, Deputy from Paraíba, very dear to us, our former Vice-Governor.

For me, it is a great joy to be here restarting our legislative year. A year that promises much for the growth of this House, in this close relationship that exists between the Plenary, reconstituted in the 55th Legislature, and what comes from Brazilian society: the clamor of the streets, of the Brazilian squares.

For us in the PMDB, there is also a new moment, with the election of Eduardo Cunha, our Leader, who now presides over this House, with a commitment to dignity, autonomy, and harmony with the other branches of government, but, in a very forceful way, with the courage to bring to this plenary the need to make the decisions necessary for Brazil to rediscover development, economic growth, to guarantee our social achievements, and so that we can also give Brazil recognition for the good work of an active Legislature, a Legislature committed to the causes of the Brazilian people.

As a native of Ceará, I want to thank the people of Ceará for giving me the opportunity to continue our work here, which increases my responsibility and commitment to the people of Ceará.

And I cannot fail to also weep for the people of Ceará, with the disappointments that have recently accumulated and distressed all those people already so suffering and hardened by a fifth consecutive year of drought. I refer to the unpleasant news of the suspension of the Investment Plan of PETROBRAS, the largest company in Brazil, for the construction of the refinery in the State of Ceará.

The arguments are flawed, from a technical point of view, especially at this opportune moment, because the project could give Ceará a lifeline for its economy, which is still so dependent on the agricultural sector, so afflicted and diminished with each passing drought, proving more and more that we need an economic alternative so that our state can thrive and Ceará can stop being a state that exports people, workers, and laborers to the rest of Brazil.

And the technical demand is proven by the growth in consumption in the Northeast. In 2004, almost 10 years ago, the Brazilian Northeast consumed 81.677.209 barrels of petroleum derivatives; today, in 2014, the Northeast consumes 154.211.122 barrels.

As for gasoline, which accounts for the largest share of this consumption, the number more than doubled: in 2004, it went from 21.445.524 barrels to 48.999.426 barrels in 2014.

Fuel oil consumption jumped from 4.050.616 barrels in 2004 to around 17.969.441 barrels in 2014.

Furthermore, diesel consumption in the Brazilian Northeast increased from 35.360.986 barrels in 2004 to approximately 58.488.787 barrels in 2014.

In the state of Ceará alone, consumption of petroleum derivatives has more than doubled, jumping from 9 million barrels in 2004 to over 20 million barrels in 2014.

This is clear proof that there is demand; it is clear proof that Ceará and Maranhão have prepared themselves to have this refinery; it is clear proof that commitments need to be reaffirmed, because public officials can never compromise their word, their promises, their desires, with electoral fallacies that often distort the image of these same public officials.

And what we regret is precisely the fact that the cornerstone was laid there, that President Lula and President Dilma were there, and that Dilma recently stated that the refinery project in the state of Ceará would actually be carried out during her second term.

Many expectations have been generated. In the municipality of Caucaia alone, there is an expected investment of over 1 billion reais. And what about the poor and suffering state of Ceará, which has already invested more than 600 million reais in this refinery and has so far simply been left waiting to be able to complete this long-awaited project?

This is a reaffirmation. We all understand the current situation at PETROBRAS, but the company is seeking to rediscover what was once a dream, including mine, when I was an engineering student at the Federal University of Ceará: to once again be the largest Brazilian company. How many of us didn't dream of one day serving the largest Brazilian company, the pride of us all? And, if there are irregularities, Ceará cannot suffer this loss. There was a loss due to the rampant corruption that occurred there, and this House proudly accepted the proposal to create a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) to investigate. I signed the list for the creation of this CPI—I, Deputy Danilo Forte—so that the truth may be told to the people of Ceará. I signed the CPI to find out in depth where the resources of PETROBRAS were diverted. And I will not accept, under any circumstances, the provocation of a state bureaucrat who, after analyzing the CPI list, claims that he will persecute the parliamentarians who signed said list.

Quite the contrary. These parliamentarians will be honored by the people who elected them. These parliamentarians will be recognized for the courage they showed.

And yes, in a Legislative Assembly whose basic premise is to legislate and oversee abuses in the constituted Powers, the Executive and the Judiciary, we have the obligation and the commitment to do this work.

It is this pride that the Chamber of Deputies has recovered. It is this pride that the Brazilian Parliament has recovered. And I am certain and convinced that, this time, we will not turn this Plenary into a pizzeria.

We will delve deeper into these investigations and, for sure, give those responsible the punishment that the Brazilian people want. And the Brazilian people want their company, PETROBRAS, back on the path to growth.

With Consultancy