Lisbon, July 10, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - On Wednesday (9), the Minister of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan, declared in Lisbon that, before the end of the month, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will announce a set of measures to stimulate the Brazilian economy. One of them, already agreed upon, envisions an investment of R$ 2.5 billion to renew Brazil's truck fleet. The objective is to benefit individuals who don't have access to credit and who are using vehicles that are over 18 years old. The goal is to increase annual truck sales from 12 to 15 thousand.
The second economic measure, which is under study, meets requests made by automobile union leaders. Thinking of ways to create jobs, the workers call for an increase in the manufacture of low-priced cars, which enjoy quicker sales. To reduce vehicle prices, they proposed reducing the Industrial Products Tax (IPI) and the abolition of the Automobile Ownership Tax (IPVA). Projects will also be announced for the areas of infrastructure, transportation, and energy.
The Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, who is also in Lisbon accompanying President Lula in his official visit to Portugal, underlined the importance of the President's first foreign visit as head of state. According to Amorim, Portugal is Brazil's most important ally in negotiations with the European Union (EU). "The presence of Portuguese investments in Brazil is not to be scoffed at, since they amount to US$ 12 billion, putting Portugal in third place among European countries with investments in Brazil," he affirmed.
As for future Brazilian investments in Portugal, the Foreign Minister affirmed that everything will depend upon the interest of private companies. "Furlan acknowledged that Brazil and Portugal possess bureaucratic barriers that do not stimulate investments, but he announced that steps will be taken to reduce the taxes paid by foreign companies that invest in Portugal," he declared.
The Minister also recalled that, together with East Timor and five African countries, Portugal is part of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), an importance space for political negotiation. "The fact that President Lula is making his first official State visit abroad here in Portugal has a symbolic significance that politics always conveys." (DAS)
