Brasília - The Minister of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade, Luiz Fernando Furlan, said that Brazil is capable of getting its country risk premium down to below 400 points and even achieving the mark of 200 points. "We pay our bills, we produce a surplus, we impose fiscal austerity, and we are growing. Why must we pay an excessive premium abroad?" Furlan emphasized today after participating in the inauguration of the 1st Federal Coordination Seminar on Export Promotion, in the Planalto Palace, in Brasília.

The seminar was organized by the Secretariat of Political Coordination and Institutional Matters and is intended to intensify the dialogue between the federal and state governments to improve the qualify of export incentive programs.

The Minister informed that the government should "probably" announce measures to lighten the burden on exports by the end of this year.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Carolina Pimentel
Translator: David Silberstein
11/09/2004