Promotion of training for entrepreneurs and suppliers stimulates the economy of the municipality
One of the main commitments of the Renova Foundation is to strengthen the economy of the municipalities impacted by the collapse of the Fundao dam. In Mariana (MG), prioritizing the hiring of labor and contracting local suppliers has boosted business in the region.
To meet the goals, the Renova Foundation, through the Program to Stimulate Local Hiring, maintains direct contact with trade associations to map suppliers and promote opportunities for local entrepreneurs and businesses.
“The Renova Foundation is committed to the prioritization of hiring local labor and the promotion of training for entrepreneurs and suppliers in the municipality of Mariana. This way we aim to encourage the use of the local workforce and local networks of suppliers for actions that are developed in the repair process, seeking the growth of the local economy and the generation of jobs in the affected communities,” explains Eduardo Assis, specialist of Renova’s Supply Intelligence area.
As of November 2019, 55 companies and 592 people participated in the Supplier Development Program that supported the qualification of Mariana’s companies and businesses.
Six Business Rounds were held, which brought together companies contracted for works in the municipality and 410 local suppliers. The events explored business and job opportunities and generated more than R$ 38 million for Mariana.
As of November 2019, 2,291 local workers have been hired. There are 141 active contracts with suppliers from Mariana, totaling an amount of R$ 900 million. In 2019, approximately R$ 13 million were collected in Taxes on Services of Any Nature (ISS) for Mariana’s public coffers.
The company EBJ Assessoria from Mariana is specialized in Management, Auditing and Consultancy in Health, Work Safety and Environmental Sustainability and is one of the suppliers of the Renova Foundation. For commercial technical director, Joao Miguel Alves, the concern with valuing local labor is fundamental for the financial input for the municipality. “EBJ Assessoria also seeks to hire qualified local professionals, providing an improvement in the communities, strengthening the partnership with the Foundation, for which this practice is a prerogative. A fact that has provided us with a standard of excellence in the supplier evaluation system”, he says.
Term of Agreement for Mariana
The prioritization of local hiring and contracting is provided for in the Transaction and Conduct Adjustment Term (TTAC) and the Term of Agreement for Mariana, signed with the Municipal Council in 2018. With this agreement, the Renova Foundation committed itself to demand the hiring of 70% of local labor from Mariana through bidding and tender processes.
According to the agreement, all purchases of up to R$ 3 million must be ordered exclusively with suppliers in the region, except when there is no local availability or the price practiced by local suppliers participating in the bidding is higher than that practiced in the marketplace. For contracts with higher total prices, the Renova Foundation should require financial support for social projects to be carried out in the municipality.
Salum Constructions, a company that operates in Mariana, brought the FC America Soccer School to town. “When Salum Constructions was contracted to do works in the municipality, we felt the hardship the town was going through and we wanted to make a positive contribution. Since I am the president of FC America, I proposed the creation of a soccer school to the mayor, with FC America’s expertise and supported by Salum Constructions. The Renova Foundation embraced the project and it started growing. Today, we have more than 120 boys and girls who train and compete in competitions. I am very happy to see that a small idea, supported by several people, brought happiness to the town of Mariana”, says the company’s co-owner, Marcus Salum.
In addition to the Mariana Municipal Council, the Term of Agreement for Mariana was signed by the Metabase Union, the Minas Gerais Integrated Development Institute (Indi), the Mariana Service Providers and Equipment Rental Association (Ampla) and the Commercial, Industrial and Agricultural Association of Mariana (Aciam).