São Paulo – The Brazilian minister of Finance, Guido Mantega, announced this Tuesday (5th) that the government believes all calls for tender for railway construction will take place before the first half is over. “In a month we will start conducting all the auctions,” said Mantega during the Infrastructure and Energy in Brazil: Projects, Financing and Opportunities forum in São Paulo.
The minister emphasized the importance of Brazil’s building a broad investment agenda, “which is crucial for enabling sustainable growth in the country.” During the event, he announced a new railway concession model designed to attract investment.
Mantega stressed that there is a strong correlation between investment and growth. For that reason, he praised the public sector’s efforts towards direct investment, which grew in the last few years. “But that is not enough for [the country] to thrive,” he said.
In the presence of businessmen, Mantega said the country has favourable conditions to infrastructure investment, seeing as spending is either under control or stationary.
“Brazil offers the conditions required for sustainable growth: it boasts a solid base, solid fiscal and political foundations, it seeks strong primary surpluses, it sets out to keep reducing government debt, even amidst a crisis,” he said.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum