Revista Paint & Pintura - Edição 229

CLIPPING 10 | PAINT&PINTURA | Jan/Fev 2018 andcodes,which contemplateandprepare themto tackle these new challenges. As for the future, the challenges are many, but they’re not insurmountable. I am fully convinced that we are going to overcome the hurdles facing us today, just as we have some many others through all of these years.” During the event, Associquim-Sincoquim presented the Prodir certificate to Colormix Indústria e Comércio de Pigmentos. The entityalsohonoredtwoofitsmemberswhichareamongtheoldest companiesintheindustrybyfoundationdate:RudnikComérciode Produtos Químicos, and Brasinter Produtos Químicos. Also honored were Associquim-Sincoquim’s oldest members by affiliationdate,amongthemLyondell-BasellBrazil,NicromQuímica, Quimicamar Indústria e Comércio de Produtos Químicos, and Evonik Degussa Brazil. The People of Value Trophy for this year went to CETESB, the São Paulo state’s environmental agency. SINDQUÍMICA HOLDS YEAR-END DINNER FUNCTION AND HONORS INDUSTRY PERSONALITIES On December 13, the Union of Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Oil Distillation and Refining Industries in the State of Ceará (known for short in Portuguese as Sindquímica) held a year-end dinner party for those industriesat LaMaison, inFortaleza, Ceará,where it honored the individuals who contributed the most to the materialization of the Guaiuba Pharmacochemical Complex, in the FortalezaMetropolitan Area, such as Ceará governor Camilo Santana, Ceará state secretary for EconomicDevelopment Cesar Ribeiro, and representative Gorete Pereira. On the occasion, Ricardo Cavalcante, managing director of the CearáStateIndustriesFederation(FIEC,theinitialsinPortuguese), stressed the importance of the industry and the solidwork done by the union, which has been around formore than 30 years and has112members.Healsohailedthecontributionsthatthosebeing honoredhavemadenot only to thechemical industry, but also to the entire manufacturing sector in the state of Ceará. Sindquímica president Marcos Soares, for his part, provided an overview of the year 2017, citing the events, actions and inter- national missions in which the union’s membership took part, especially the creation of the Guaiuba Complex. Secretary Cesar Ribeiro, speaking also on behalf of governor Ca- miloSantana, introduced theCeará stategovernment’s strategic plans for economic development, such as the “hub trio”, for the hub airport secured with the airlines Air France, KLM, and Gol, the sea hub that is about to be made a reality by a partnership between the ports of Pecém and Rotterdam, and the data hub that has beenmade possible by the laying of cables for the SACS and Monet cable systems, both operated by the multinational Angola Cables, to connect Ceará to the African continent and to the United States. He also highlighted the state’s projects on the regional develop- ment front, such as the Guaiuba Pharmacochemical Complex itself. According to Cesar Ribeiro, the project, which is currently in theearthmovingandbasic infrastructureconstructionstage, is receivingR$10millionininvestmentsfromtheCearágovernment, will comprise27 companies, and is expected tocreate2,000 jobs. Still during the function, certificates were presented to the companies that played an active role in the “Our Chemistry is Solidarity” campaign, the paint and coatings industry, for winning the campaign, and the companyHidrotintas, for its 40-year anniversary. ABIQUIM HOLDS 22ND ENAIQ Brazil’s president Michel Temer took part in the opening ceremony for the 22nd edition of the Chemical Industry’s Annual Meeting (ENAIQ, the initials in Portuguese), held by the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (known for short in Portuguese as Abiquim) at WTC Events Center, in the state capital of São Paulo. Thepresident talkedabout the commitment of his adminis- tration, which started out in a recession period and whose work, according to him, has been underpinned by three values: dialog, fiscal responsibility, and social responsibility. “Weareeighteenmonths intoour administration, andalrea- dy therearegoodsigns inoureconomy,which is responding according to hard data.” Temer pointed out that one of the first measures by his administration was making a commitment to control go- vernment spendingandeliminate thedeficit. Hestated that the government is committed to the social security and tax reforms, which he claims will be beneficial in the long run. The president said rather than hurting the working class, the social security reform will do away with the privileges of officials holding high-paying offices in the public sector. He added that a simplified tax code is the next goal to be pursued by his administration. “This will help the Brazilian chemical industry toclimbupfromtheeighthtotheseventh or even sixth position in the world ranking.” Inhis opening speech, chairmanof theAbiquimboardMar- cos De Marchi spoke of the need to make the addition of value tonatural resources apriority, so that the industry can create more jobs, wealth, and well-being on a social level. De Marchi reminded those attending that not only are the products fromthechemical industrypresent inall segments of themanufacturing sector, they arealsoprimarily respon- sible for the productivity of agriculture. The executive said that the industry is a member of several groups under the Gás para Crescer (or “Gas for Growth”) initiative, and that among its expectations is having the idea contemplated that gas, as a rawmaterial, be tradedat international prices, as the chemical industry knows how to process that gas into fertilizers, paints and other products that are key to employment and development. One pressing issue cited by De Marchi is the growing pre- sence of imports in the domestic market, as they currently represent 38 percent of all chemicals consumed. On the other hand, the executive said that Brazil is one of the best- -positioned countries to foment growth in the chemical industry. “Wehaveabundant suppliesof rawmaterials from fossil, plant and mineral origins, a large consumer market, and a comprehensive industry base.”