COVID-19, CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES OF CREDIT COOPERATIVISM IN NORTHERN BRAZIL

Abstract

In view of the intensification of credit cooperatives in the North Region, this study aims to highlight the credit cooperatives and their nuances in the face of the current Brazilian economic scenario and COVID-19 in the North region of Brazil, and thus, present a brief reflection on the concept and characteristics of the segment in this region. The research fits as a descriptive and explanatory research, the path established for data collection is structured in two stages, the first is a literary and documentary review, the second is data collection through semi-structured interviews directed to the directors of OCB / SESCOOPs location of each of the states that make up the North Region. As a result of the research, in Tocantins, the OCB/TO system provides the necessary support for a system to verify both the quality of the business, as well as the evolution of management and cooperative governance. Another is the states of Rondônia and Pará, which have great potential for expanding cooperative activities. One of the challenges perceived throughout the study for the North region is the ability of cooperatives to be scalable and the degree of competitiveness with other existing financial institutions. According to the data collected in the survey, even with a significant development in recent years in the credit cooperative sector, the North region of Brazil still remains at lower levels than other regions.