São Paulo, 5/12/2004 (Agência Brasil) - The Manaus Zona Franca is now responsible for 6% of all industrial production in the country. According to the government statistical bureau (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística) (IBGE) it has annual revenue totalling US$10 billion in manufactured goods.

In order to attract investments, a roadshow took place yesterday in São Paulo that was attended by the minister of Development, Luiz Fernando Furlan, and the governor of the state of Amazonas, Eduardo Braga.

According to Braga, the region is now, more than ever, a smart destination for investors. He points to two recent events that have made the region even more promising. First, the extension of the lifetime of the Zona Franca to the year 2023 through appropriate legislation. Second, a significant change in the region's energy grid, which will now include a natural gas pipeline. "The use of diesel fuel to run power plants to generate electricity is no longer viable in an Amazon region that we want to be an example of ecological preservation," said the governor.

Translator: Allen Bennett