Brasília - The Minister of the Federal Controller-General's Office (CGU), Waldir Pires, declared, in a note released yesterday (20) by the organ, that "he was not surprised by the index revealed in the study conducted by the non-governmental organization (NGO), Transparency International, since the government is fully aware that its anti-corruption campaign is not of the type that produces an immediate change in world opinion about the country."

The NGO's research suggests that the level of corruption in Brazil did not improve in the past year. According to Pires, the result of the study concerning Brazil was negative, because the people who were interviewed, made up of businessmen linked to world trade, national and international law firms, bankers, and international agencies, do not accompany governmental actions day-to-day in each country to be able to perceive right away where efforts are being made to combat corruption.

"I am sure, for example, that Brazilians here in the country who follow what has been done since last year, especially by the Federal Controller-General's Office and the Federal Police, have another notion about the war waged by the federal government on corruption in our country," the Minister says in the note.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Ana Paula Marra
Translator: David Silberstein
10/21/2004