중남미

In general, governments promote policies to support research and development (R&D) aimed at generating economic growth. In this sense, the Informatics Law was instituted in Brazil in 1991. It granted discounts on the tax on industrialised products (IPI) to companies in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector that invested a certain amount in R&D. A new Information Technology Law started to grant tax credits and more rigidly inspect its counterpart in investments in R&D. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the possible macroeconomic and sectoral impacts of the changes. The simulations are performed by a dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, which recognises the stock-flow relationship between investment in R&D and knowledge capital. It concludes that the resumption of IPI collection would trigger negative effects on the main macroeconomic indicators. However, the compensatory mechanisms incorporated in the new law would be efficient in reversing the losses and generating additional gains. The ICT sectors that benefited the most were those directly affected by the policy, that is, the machinery and mechanical and electrical equipment manufacturing sectors, belonging to the medium-high technology group, and the computer equipment, electronic and optical products manufacturing sectors in the high technological intensity group.