Anuário Brasileiro do Setor de Locação de Veículos | 2021

14 Anuário Brasileiro do Setor de Locação de Veículos Brazilian Vehicle Rental Sector Yearbook 2021 FENALOC Leasing and rental face a mosaic of challenges ahead I t is no exaggeration to say that 2020 is one of the most significant years in the history of Brazilian car leasing and rental. We faced and still face a range of issues that, to some degree or other, impact every company in our sector, whether large, medium or small, franchisors, franchisees, or independent leasing and rental companies. In this mosaic of challenges are such issues as the termination of road tax discounts for rental vehicles in São Paulo, the largest market in Brazil, which is causing huge distortions and creating unfair competition between the leasing and rental companies in São Paulo and the rest. And increased ICMS tax on the sale of used vehicles does the same, burdening some companies more than others. We are also concerned about the price war with the arrival of new players in the sector, such as automakers, dealerships, insurance companies and even banks. All healthy competition is positive, but the path that has been followed by some players suggests that in their eagerness to win market share quickly the game can get hard for everyone, with unpredictable consequences. This suicidal strategy, already seen in several sectors of the economy, is harmful to the sector as a whole because it also puts at risk the image of car leasing and rental among customers. In the medium and long term, such a strategy is not based on quality and service. Along with all this, cars became hard to come by in early 2021 for a number of reasons. The departure of Ford, which for decades was among the big four here in Brazil, combined with the concentration of automakers globally, makes competition even more restricted, with direct consequences on the price and availability of vehicles for leasing and rental companies. Another challenge is Summary 492, by the Supreme Court, which makes leasing and rental companies responsible for damage caused to third parties in accidents. From the precedents that led to the creation of this Summary, we believe that leasing and rental companies should be held responsible only in those cases in which it is guilty, and the judge cannot simply presume this, creating an inexplicable inverse relationship with the burden of proof, as has been the case since 1969! Furthermore, the constant changes in the traffic code, the adoption of digital systems in the issuance of registration documents and vehicle licenses, new resolutions issued by CONTRAN and DENATRAN that alter the way leasing and rental companies operate, as in the case of penalty points for damage to vehicles, all forces us to remain constantly vigilant about the impacts in order to prevent the sector from being immobilized in the face of obstacles suddenly imposed. Despite being in the midst of the greatest pandemic of the last 100 years, we have reached another level of socioeconomic influence since, in addition to driving the automotive sector, we are important suppliers for app drivers, for example. Fenaloc’s main functions, which include aggregating trade unions, encouraging the development of the sector and, chiefly, defending companies in the face of laws, norms and resolutions that cloud our progress are clear. Nonetheless, we seek to act proactively in the proposition of laws, norms and resolutions that allow us to work in an organized and prosperous way. Once and for all, going beyond tourism, we are among the most important sectors of the economy and this is definitely a path we will remain on. © upklyak | Freepik ®