Brasília - Since yesterday (30), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have been holding a workshop at UNDP headquarters in Brasília to discuss the report, Investment Policies in Brazil - General Outlook and Recommendations. The meeting ends today.

The study, which will be presented to the federal government and companies interested in the export sector within two months, is the first one prepared by the UNCTAD since the international meeting held in São Paulo in June. The document analyzes the tendencies and the environment for attracting investments in Brazil.

For UNCTAD Secretary-General, Rubens Ricupero, who is Brazilian, the main contribution of the report embodies suggestions to help Brazil formulate a clear strategy for attracting foreign direct investments and tools to apply this strategy. "We need to have a strategy to export more," Ricupero affirmed.

He observed that "the modern policy to attract investments is very clearly aimed at attracting a specific company, a specific sector. Therefore, one must identify the company and what it requires to come to the country."

Ricupero also said that the document recommends that Brazil advance in two items, to attain a higher level of excellence in the area of attracting investments. "First, we should have companies that increase exports of advanced technology products," he remarked.

"We should also try to attract more investments to less developed regions, such as the Northeast, the North, and the Center-West of Brazil, and, in doing so, avail ourselves of the World Trade Organization rules that allow exceptions for poorer regions," the Ambassador commented.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Benedito Mendonça
Translator: David Silberstein
08/31/2004