Rio, October 1, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's trips to Africa in November and the Middle East in December may mean a boost to Brazilian manufacturers of inputs and equipment in the health field. This declaration was made on Monday (29), in this capital, by the Minister of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan, who participated in the opening of the 2nd National Seminar on the Health Industry Complex, sponsored by the National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES).

The Minister pointed out the need for projects to be shared by various government agencies, in order to avoid parallel efforts and to make sure that scientific endeavors have, in fact, practical consequences and receive the resources they require. Furlan highlighted two projects to support the exportation of medical and odontological equipment; one of them is being implemented by the Ministry, in partnership with the Association of Manufacturers of Medical and Odontological Products, and involves 250 firms, including participation in Brazilian trade missions abroad, such as the recent one to Russia.

Furlan revealed the existence of vast ignorance abroad when it comes to Brazil's capacity to produce equipment, and he cited the case of a company from the interior of the state of São Paulo which, by participating in the mission to Russia, was able to sell hundreds of units of a piece of odontological equipment by virtue of the simple fact that it had the opportunity to demonstrate a good product at a competitive price.

The other project to support exports in this sector is the BHP-Brazilian Health Products, which is being implemented together with the Apex Brazil - Export Promotion Agency, and which has already had a positive effect through a 74.3% growth in exports in 2002. According to Furlan, the equipment manufacturing sector is taking various steps to obtain international certification and be able to penetrate international markets.

He recalled that the hardness testing of materials laboratory that he and the Minister of Science and Technology, Roberto Amaral, inaugurated on Monday, in Xerém, at the National Institute of Measures, Norms, and Industrial Quality (Inmetro), will contribute to substituting the dependence to which Brazil is subjected in this area. (DAS)