The São Paulo Attorney General's Office (PGE-SP) has successfully obtained two court rulings allowing the seizure of 180 million liters of fuel belonging to the Manguinhos Oil Refinery, also known as Refit. This action is part of tax enforcement proceedings aimed at collecting overdue ICMS (Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services) payments amounting to R$ 500 million. The seized fuel, currently held by Petrobras, was captured during a joint operation by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) and Brazil's Federal Revenue Service in the previous year.

These favorable rulings were issued by the State Tax Enforcement Court in São Paulo, which affirmed that the administrative retention of the goods does not strip the company of its ownership rights unless the Federal Government declares a forfeiture penalty. The PGE emphasized the importance of these legal decisions in ensuring the effectiveness of tax collection and the prioritization of state tax claims, as well as the procedural rights of the involved parties.

As the legal process unfolds, the rulings also stipulate the notification of the Federal Revenue Service and the custodian of the seized commodities to ensure they are aware of the court-ordered seizure. This move not only reflects the state's efforts to bolster revenue collection amid fiscal challenges but also highlights the ongoing tensions in the management of state and federal tax responsibilities in Brazil.