Rio - In the 18 months it has been in office, the Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva administration has spent US$1.41 billion (R$4.3 billion) on basic sanitation in 21 Brazilian states. And another US$118 million (R$360 million) is scheduled to be released by the end of this year, on top of another US$560 million (R$1.7 billion) which is earmarked in the 2004 budget for basic sanitation.

Meanwhile, the government continues public discussions on national guidelines for basic sanitation and environmental sanitation. A bill on the latter should be ready to go to Congress by the end of August.

The National Environmental Sanitation Policy bill will establish regulations for public water supplies, sewage management and control of runoff water in urban centers. The objective is to ensure that these services are available and adequate, whether they are run by the government or the private sector.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Daisy Nascimento
Translator: Allen Bennett
08/02/2004