Brasília – The Brazilian minister of Defence, Celso Amorim, has spoken again this Tuesday (5th) at the Chamber of Deputies for the allocation of at least 2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the defence sector, a rate he would like to see attained within the next ten years. On discussing strategic projects for the sector, the minister noted that although it is a peaceful country, Brazil is not completely immune to eventual attacks.
“Our foreign policy is tailored towards peace and development, but even a peaceful country such as Brazil cannot rule out the hypothesis of being attacked by armed actions from extra-regional powers, which could even stem from conflicts we are not involved in. Brazil is a major player in foodstuffs, environment and energy. These are the areas in which scarcity of resources, in the face of growing global demand, could be conducive to crises, and this has been acknowledged by reputable organizations in several countries,” Amorim argued.
Over the past ten years, according to the minister, there has been a “more or less” steady increase in budget spending by the Ministry of Defence. From 2003 to 2013, spending on funding and investment went from R$ 3.7 billion (US$ 1.6 billion) to R$ 18.3 billion (US$ 8.2 billion). “If we consider investment expenditure only, there was a leap from R$ 900 million (US$ 403.5 million) to R$ 8.9 billion (US$ 3.9 billion). It is a near-1,000% increase during the period,” he said.
According to Amorim, despite the increase, the ratio of defence spending-to-GDP has remained at 1.5%. The global average, he compared, is 2.6%. In the countries that comprise the Brics group, Brazil aside, the average is 2.57%. The bloc is composed of Russia, India, China and South Africa, plus Brazil.
“It would be reasonable, within a ten-year period, for us to reach approximately 2% of the GDP. Aside from a higher defence spending-to-GDP ratio, it is crucial for the allocation of these funds to take place in a stable, predictable manner,” he said. “Because we do not have declared enemies at this time, it does not mean we are free from the risk of conflict. It is our duty to create the necessary conditions for our defence industry to thrive and bear fruit,” he added.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
