Brasília - During an interview on a morning talk show yesterday, minister of Finance, Antonio Palocci, declared that he sees signs of economic recovery and believes the country is on the path to sustained growth.

"In 2003 the first half was characterized by a downturn in economic activity, but we had growth in the second half. And if we look at the last quarter we see that growth reached 1.5%, compared to the third quarter, which works out to an annual growth rate of 6%," said the minister.

Palocci pointed out that although the year as a whole was not a good one, some sectors did do very well. "What is important is for the country to be on track for a long period of sustained growth with new jobs being created and strong exports," concluded the minister. (AB)