Rio, January 15, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Minister of Mines and Energy, Dilma Roussef, asked private enterprise to participate in meeting the challenge of restructuring the electric energy sector, and she told the audience attending the swearing-in ceremony for the new president of Eletrobrás, that private enterprise decides to invest, when it sees the opportunity for returns. "Private enterprise is not susceptible to persuasion, if the material incentives are lacking," she explained.

The Minister stated that when there are stable regulatory guidelines, horizons of investment and return, rates of return that are reasonable and reliably constant, private enterprise will invest. The Minister also said that the Administration is in the process of defining programs for the electric energy sector and that, after all the positions on the executive boards of enterprises linked to the Ministry have been filled, political goals will be announced. All is being done with great tranquility. "We are completing our team. We hold views on various issues, all in the process of clarification," the Minister affirmed. (DAS)