Brasília, 6/17/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Government efforts to approve tax and social security reform bills and get the economy growing again where the highlights of a letter from minister of Finance, Antonio Palocci, to the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Horst Kohler. The letter was written before the IMF approved the third revision of last September's US$30 billion agreement with Brazil.

In the letter Palocci also declared that "performance criteria in the revision was achieved and there were advances made in negotiations regarding a new bankruptcy law in congress." The minister also reaffirmed the government's intention to reduce debt. (AB)