Rio, May 3, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - The Family Grant program will receive around US$ 500 million from the World Bank (IBRD) this year. According to the Bank's press office, social programs have already received over US$ 1.2 billion from the IBRD during Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's Administration.

Until the end of Lula's mandate, the IBRD plans to invest another US$ 7.5 billion in programs aimed at the reduction of poverty, incentives to competitiveness, and human development, with activities in the areas of education and health. Since the Bank's creation in 1945, Brazil has received US$ 33 billion.

In 1999 the World Bank centralized its investments in programs to promote economic stability, with a special focus on social development. This partnership gave Brazil second place in the ranking of countries that received the most funds from the IBRD. Only Mexico received more.

The Minister of Economic and Social Development, Jaques Wagner, commended the World Bank's concern with international social issues.

Translator: David Silberstein