CADE's message to the antitrust community and society at large

Dear friends,

As the President of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), I want to emphasize we are very much in line with the interests of society and its citizens during this serious crisis that is plaguing the entire world.

I would like to express my solidarity to the nations that have been already heavily affected by COVID-19, to the health professionals who are at the forefront of the fight against this pandemic and, especially, to those who have been contaminated, who are suspected to have the disease or who have dear ones in this situation, as well as to those in risk groups or whose relatives are included in such groups.

We must remain strong.

I assure you that, at CADE, we are taking every possible step to mitigate the risks of contamination amongst ours. We were, in fact, pioneers within the Government in adopting measures against the virus, starting on 13 March.

Our employees who are part of the board have been authorized to work remotely, and those who need to come to the building due to the nature of their duties are being constantly monitored. Access to the building has been restricted and cleaning measures have been increased. Moreover, in a very short timeframe, we were able to reorganize our meetings and hearings to be held remotely.

At this time, our greatest challenge is to reconcile the recommendations to restrain the spread of the virus with our responsibility to keep serving society.

It is important everyone understands that the Administrative Council for Economic Defense continues to operate normally.

I clarify we are aware of the problems several sectors are undergoing; CADE will be reasonable and understanding when examining your requests.

However, it is paramount that, in this period of crisis, the government keep working to the best of its ability, in order to guide society and, mostly, refrain from increasing the already strong impact we will all inevitably feel.

We are aware of the direct effect of our actions in the economic sphere. Many paradigms we have learned throughout history will have to be reconsidered in this unprecedented crisis. However, with common sense and sensitivity, we must definitely remain vigilant to avoid any abuses that may happen and be quick in our response to help the economy recover as soon as possible.

Ours is a huge responsibility at this time.

Fortunately, we have technological tools that allow us to keep our activities normally. I would also like to add that CADE is already working for all its ordinary judgment sessions to happens normally, through video conferences, preserving transparency and ensuring the participation of any and all interested parties.

I thank everyone for their understanding and I reiterate that we, at CADE, are working with dedication and seeking to contribute as effectively and responsibly as possible to overcome the crisis we are going through.

We are all in this fight together!

ALEXANDRE BARRETO

President of CADE