Rio, 12/10/2002 (Agência Brasil-ABr) - With interest rates among the highest in the world, behind only Poland and Argentina, Brazil is not only very expensive to do business in, but also not a good investment destination because of the difficulty of getting any return on investments in that situation, says Alfied Ploger, the president of the Brazilian Association of Corporations (Companhias Abertas) (Abrasca).

Ploger says capital markets will recover only when confidence in Brazil is stronger abroad. That, he declared, will require a better balance of payments, and reforms in the political, tax and social security areas. (AB)