STF Sets Oct. 17–24 Virtual Vote on Restoring Brazil's Beverage-Tracking Sicobe

Overview

• The Supreme Federal Court scheduled a virtual plenary from Oct. 17 to 24 to decide whether the TCU can force the reactivation of Sicobe, which was shut down in 2016.
• Minister Cristiano Zanin's April injunction that halted the TCU order remains in effect, citing a potential unbudgeted tax benefit and possible breach of the Fiscal Responsibility Law.
• The federal government argues reactivation would forgo about R$1.8 billion per year in revenue, asserting the funds could instead support hiring roughly 4,300 tax auditors.
• Sicobe recorded production volumes for beer, soft drinks and bottled water under Receita Federal oversight and did not assess beverage quality or regulate distilled spirits, which are controlled by seals.
• The case advances as the Health Ministry reports 24 confirmed methanol poisonings and five deaths, with many suspected cases under investigation largely in São Paulo.