Brasília – Brazil has the challenge of increasing productivity of its economy to have greater competitiveness and distribute gains better. The statement was made by the president of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), Luciano Coutinho, at an event he presented on Friday (13) at the Programme for Support of Competitiveness of Brazilian Industry, at the National Confederation of Industries (CNI).
"Productivity must grow at levels similar to 4% a year. We cannot continue growing 2%,” said Coutinho. According to him, greater productivity is necessary for Brazil to sustain "virtuous development", with distribution of revenues and greater salaries, profit and investment. "We must increase the size of the industrial work force in the country, with change in its profile and greater productivity,” he pointed out.
The Programme for Support to Competitiveness in Brazilian Industry plans to expand the operation of the National Service of Industrial Education (Senai) in the areas of technological innovation and professional education for industry. For expansion, Senai should use 81 mobile units that should take qualification courses to places where there is industrial demand for trained labour and there are none of the institution’s fixed units.
Construction of 53 professional training centres will also take place, 250 schools will be redone and 23 innovation and 38 technology institutes will be established. Total investment in the expansion is R$ 1.9 billion (US$ 1 billion), of which R$ 1.5 billion (US$ 818 million) is financed by the BNDES and R$ 400 million (US$ 218 million) in own funds.
*Translated by Mark Ament
