Brasília, July 28, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - A visit to the Minister of Finance, Antônio Palocci, from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) mission is planned for this afternoon. The IMF experts came for a new review of the agreement approved last year making over US$ 30 billion available for Brazil to deal with its financial crisis.

If the review is approved, the Brazilian government will have the right to receive a new installment of the loan, in the amount of R$ 4.265 billion. The experts should have no difficulties in approving the review, since Brazil has more than met the target of a primary surplus equivalent to 4.25% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

The government has still not decided whether it will request an extension of the agreement. Last week, Minister Palocci said that the decision will be made at some point in the future. "The agreement with the IMF has to do with the equilibrium of Brazil's accounts. The agreement we have now was and has been very important for Brazil. Chiefly, because the Fund made an agreement for economic policy to be formulated not only in terms of the agreement, but to give the economic team autonomy to set it," the Minister affirmed. (DAS)