Rio, September 19, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Brazil's shipbuilding industry can become a great exporter of ships and platforms, affirmed the president of the BNDES (National Economic and Social Development Bank), Carlos Lessa, at a breakfast with entrepreneurs from the sector. He added that the shipbuilding industry has technological capabilities compatible with the foreign market.

"We are currently great exporters of aircraft, with the support that the BNDES gave Embraer, and the same thing can happen with the shipbuilding sector, Lessa assured, proposing a concerted effort to increase sales abroad. According to Lessa, Brazil can export petroleum industry support vessels to regions of the Caribbean and Africa, as well as to Mexico.

At the gathering, Lessa disclosed that the BNDES has R$ 2-3 billion in spare funds for this year, but he didn't inform how much of this is available for the shipbuilding sector. He pointed out that the bank's budget for 2004 foresees greater outlays than those expected for this year: R$ 47 billion, as against R$ 35 billion. (DAS)