Daniel Lima
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - The Minister of Finance, Antônio Palocci, considered the 5.2% growth in the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in 2004 excellent news for Brazil. The figure was announced yesterday (1) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics.

"Estimates indicated 5.1%, and [the result] came up 5.2%. This is excellent news for Brazil, because we reestablished a level of growth we hadn't experienced in ten years. And what's even more important is that this GDP was accompanied by an investment rate in excess of 11% - double the GDP," Palocci remarked.

For the Minister, the country's growth and the high investment rates are clear signs of the economy's "sustainability." Palocci affirmed that the indicators remain "very strong, quite positive and healthy."

Translation: David Silberstein