Brasília, January 28, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Minister of Finance, Antônio Palocci, departed yesterday (27) for Geneva, where he will join President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's delegation and meet with European entrepreneurs. His words for the Europeans are already on the tip of his tongue: "Brazil wants to be a country in order for the long haul and wants our team to organize the country so that control of inflation and equilibrium of the economy are lasting assets."

Palocci will also tell the Europeans that "economic packages" no longer suit Brazil. The idea is to transmit the image of a country that is becoming organized, with long-term goals, to assure the peace of mind necessary for whoever wishes to invest. In this sense, Palocci will underscore that the government has made good use of this moment of international liquidity to increase its reserves and reduce its dollar debts.

According to Palocci, the period of magic tricks in the economy has been given a conclusive burial. The Minister said that he is not working at the moment with growth targets but with the decision to adopt, over the course of 2004, the measures that are necessary to enable the country to grow even more in 2005 and the years to come. The debates about the proposed bankruptcy law, which is under Senate scrutiny, was one of the examples cited by Palocci.

In his interview with the press, the Minister also cited his meeting yesterday with the Minister of Social Development, Patrus Ananias. The goal, he pointed out, is to make the government's social actions more cohesive. "This will produce a combination of long-term growth, economic control, and social inclusion," Palocci said. (DAS)