The federal government has opened a duty-free quota for supplies and equipment to be used for scientific research. The initiative, published on Monday (6), exempts institutes and researchers from paying import taxes on the purchase of up to US$ 301 million in equipment and inputs for research and technological development.

The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) will review the applications by accredited organisations and researchers to determine how the quota will be applied.

For the Minister of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications, Gilberto Kassab, the quota is an important achievement for the scientific community and the country.

"The import quotas ensure the continuity of projects of great value to the Brazilian population. In addition, the inputs and equipment acquired through this quota are central to the country's competitiveness in science, technology and innovation," he said.

A total 216 organisations and 285 researchers benefited from the 2016 import quota for research supplies and equipment, which was of US$ 290 million. Of this total, US$ 190.6 million were used.