Alana Gandra
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Rio – Electronic commerce - internet purchases - were more than US$ 5.5 billion in Brazil in 2005, reports the executive director of the Electronic Commerce Chamber (Câmara Brasileira de Comércio Eletrônico) (Camara-e.net), Cid Torquato.

Torquato says expectations are that in 2006 there will be a 50% increase. He says that with some 18 million Brazilians surfing the net for purchases, and only 5 million closing deals (digitial transactions, he calls them), there is plenty of room for expansion.

The Camera-e.net was founded in 2001 and has become the main organization monitoring the digital economy in Brazil.

Translation: Allen Bennett