Brasília, March 7, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Minister of Finance, Antônio Palocci, said that, in the meetings to review the agreement with the IMF, the Brazilian government requested changes in the way certain issues are handled. "On the tax question, we discussed the importance of not getting stuck on petty matters," the Minister explained. He revealed that he asked the IMF mission, which was in Brazil from February 15-25, to extend its stay in the country, to spend more time accompanying the discussions on tax reform.

According to Palocci, over the past eight years a lot of attention has been paid to tax collection, but not to the quality of the taxes. "Our commitments to reform continue. The administration has opted not to make small-scale changes. Rather, to adopt the important reform measures that Brazil needs generally," he emphasized. (DAS)