The temporary reduction in the IPI on furniture announced on March 26 in effect until next Saturday, 30, has produced good results for the furniture industry in Bento Gonçalves. The partial data for April and May showed an 8% growth in sales compared to the same period in 2011. In May, the turnover amounted to R$ 213,110,000, which represented a nominal increase of 10.7% compared to May last year. With these data, the furniture center in Bento Gonçalves reported in the first five months of the year, a nominal growth of 11.1% compared to last year, which was higher than the 8.6% figure achieved by the furniture industry in Rio Grande do Sul. According to Cátia Scarton, president of Sindmóveis, the reduction in the IPI enabled the growth of the furniture sector overcoming the current economic hardships felt in other segments of the industry. Cátia stresses the importance to extend the exemption until September: “The extension is crucial for us to continue contributing to demand for furniture proven by the growth of the retail sector, also so that we can compete with imported products,” she said.
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