Brazil defines timescales for sale of state-owned tech firms

The Brazilian government has defined timescales for the sale of its technology companies to private sector buyers.

According to the goals announced by the team in charge of the government's privatization initiatives, Dataprev and Serpro, companies accountable for the development, maintenance, and operations of thousands of government systems, will be sold by June 2021.

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State-owned telecoms company Telebras, which was recently involved in the expansion of Brazil's satellite infrastructure, will be sold by mid-2021 as well.

A date has also been announced for the sale of the National Center for Advanced Electronic Technology (CEITEC). The center, created in 2008 as one of the government initiatives intended to increase Brazil's competitiveness in technology, is expected to be sold faster, by February 2021.

The government companies have been taking steps to ensure they are as attractive as possible to potential private sector buyers. Dataprev, for example, announced last month that it would eliminate 493 jobs and shut down 20 offices across Brazil. As a response, employees are striking nationwide.

Dataprev employees have also voiced concerns around what will happen to the personal data belonging to millions of Brazilians that it handles after the sale, warning that shifting data to private servers "could compromise national sovereignty."