Keite Camacho
Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília - Minister of Labor, Luiz Marinho, says that the fall in economic inequality shown in the 2004 Household Survey (Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios) (Pnad), which was conducted by the government statistical bureau (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística) (IBGE), reflects the fact that it is possible for income distribution to occur even for very poor families that have always been beyond the reach of the benefits of citizenship.

The survey found that there was a drop of 0.3% in the wealth of the country's richest 5%, while there was an increase of 3.2% in the wealth of the country's poorest 50%.

With regard to the country's mininum wage, now at R$300 (US$135), Marinho said he was in favor of a policy that would guarantee permanent increases in the purchasing power of the minimum wage. But he added it was going to be difficult to raise it to R$400 (US$181) next year.

Translation: Allen Bennett