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Episode involving a simple piece interrupted a millionaire construction project for months in the south of the country, mobilized heritage bodies, and reignited debate about bureaucracy in large private enterprises, after suspicion of a historical artifact delayed the schedule and increased operational costs.
A ceramic plate valued at around R$ 24 reportedly paralyzed the construction of a Havan unit in Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, for 150 days, according to businessman Luciano Hang in recent social media posts.
The piece was found on the land before the start of construction and, as the businessman described, was initially treated as a possible indigenous artifact, which led to the adoption of specific protocols related to historical and cultural preservation.
Hang stated that the episode significantly delayed the implementation of the store in the city and reignited criticism about the impact of bureaucracy on licensing processes, especially in large-scale projects that depend on technical authorizations and institutional analyses.
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According to the businessman, the suspicion about the origin of the piece led to the complete interruption of work on the site until the nature of the object found during the preparation of the land for the start of construction was clarified.
“They found a ceramic plate and thought it was an indigenous artifact. The result? The construction was stopped for 150 days. In the end, they discovered it was just a common plate,” said Luciano Hang, recalling the case in a video published on social media.
Plate found in Havan construction project raised suspicion of indigenous artifact
According to Hang, the piece was later identified as a product of the Santa Catarina brand Oxford, even being sold on Havan’s own website for an average price of R$ 24, which, according to him, would reinforce the simplicity of the object found.
The businessman also stated that the plate had been used in a religious ritual previously held on the land, a hypothesis he mentioned when commenting on the possible presence of the item on the site before the start of the company’s activities.
The initial suspicion, according to the account presented by Hang, triggered procedures related to heritage preservation and involved the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional, Iphan, responsible for evaluating findings that may have archaeological relevance.
There is, however, no public confirmation found in an official source from the agency that fully details the points mentioned by the businessman, especially regarding the exact time of the stoppage and the initial classification of the piece.
The episode occurred before the construction of the retail chain’s 162nd unit, which would be installed on a plot of land located on Avenida Itália, nº 1573, in the Vila Maria neighborhood, in the city of Rio Grande.
“Delay-meter” marked the stoppage of work in Rio Grande
During the period of stoppage, Luciano Hang installed a sign on the site which he called a “delay-meter,” on October 31, 2019, as a way to publicly record the time the work remained interrupted.
The initiative was used by the businessman to give visibility to the case and reinforce his criticisms of what he considers excessive bureaucracy, highlighting the direct impact the suspension had on the project’s schedule.
In the report later released, Hang stated that he managed to demonstrate to Iphan that the piece found was not an indigenous artifact, but rather a common industrially manufactured plate.
After the resolution of the impasse involving the identification of the object, the construction of the megastore was authorized to proceed, allowing the resumption of activities on the land where the unit would be installed.
“Months of work were interrupted by an error that could have been resolved with more agility and common sense,” said the businessman, commenting on the delay in releasing the work.
Havan’s investment can reach R$ 100 million per unit
The specific amount invested in the Rio Grande unit was not officially disclosed by the company in the publicly available information, although the businessman himself usually mentions estimates related to the cost of implementing new stores.
According to Luciano Hang, each new Havan megastore requires an average investment of about R$ 100 million, a value he cited as a reference to gauge the financial impact of prolonged stoppages like the one reported.
The inauguration of the unit took place on July 29, 2021, according to an institutional statement released by the company, marking the official opening of the store after the period of interruption and subsequent resumption of construction.
At the time, Havan reported that it was the network’s 162nd store in the country, expanding the company’s presence in national territory with another large-scale unit.
The operation was also presented as the network’s 12th branch in Rio Grande do Sul, consolidating the company’s expansion in the southern region of Brazil with investments in infrastructure and job creation.
According to information released by the company at the time, the megastore had approximately 10,000 square meters of built area and generated about 200 direct jobs in the city.
Case reignites debate on bureaucracy in construction works in Brazil
Recalling the episode, Hang associated the work stoppage with what he considers an excess of bureaucracy in Brazil, especially in processes involving environmental licensing and the analysis of possible historical findings.
The businessman stated that procedures considered slow end up harming private investments and delaying projects that could be completed in shorter periods, directly impacting the local economy.
“Brazil urgently needs less bureaucracy and more efficiency. We need to emulate what works. I often say that bureaucracy is the mother of corruption and one of the main reasons for our country’s delay,” he declared.
Hang used this statement to advocate for changes in how administrative processes are conducted in the country, with greater agility and clearer criteria for evaluating similar situations.
In the specific case of Rio Grande, the businessman argues that the correct identification of the piece could have occurred in a shorter period, avoiding the prolonged stoppage of the work.
Havan store was inaugurated after a period of stoppage
The “delay-meter” sign was installed in October 2019, while the store’s inauguration took place in July 2021, indicating an interval that included both the period of stoppage and the resumption and completion of the works.
This interval covered stages such as land release, construction execution, and preparation of the unit for public opening, according to the company’s internal schedule after the resolution of the impasse.
Havan confirmed, in an institutional statement released before the inauguration, that the Rio Grande store would officially open on July 29, 2021, a date maintained according to the company’s final planning.
The address provided by the network coincides with the location mentioned in Hang’s account, consolidating the unit as part of the company’s expansion in the southern region of the country.
The case gained renewed repercussion after the businessman revisited the episode on his social media, bringing back into discussion the impact of administrative processes on large private works.
The narrative began to circulate widely by bringing together elements such as the low value of the object found, the high investment involved in the work, and the participation of bodies responsible for the preservation of national historical heritage.
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