RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Minister of Economy Paulo Guedes said yesterday that mass vaccination will be instrumental in resuming economic growth in the country, strongly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is only possible to boost economic growth, [and overcome] this challenge that lies ahead, which is to convert a cyclical recovery based on consumption, into a sustainable growth resumption, based on investments, as long as we can safely return to work,” said Guedes.
“This safe return to work requires mass vaccination of the Brazilian population, free, voluntary vaccination for Brazilians is what we need,” the Minister added at an end-of-year press conference in Brasília.
Guedes recalled that the government has issued a Provisional Measure releasing R$20 billion for the purchase of vaccines and supplies to be used in the country’s immunization campaign against Covid-19.
The Minister also defended the economic team, saying that results are being delivered, but that there is a “political and denialist narrative” that strips credit of good government actions.
“We are delivering, but there is a negative campaign,” said Guedes.
Regarding the fiscal responsibility policy and spending cuts implemented in his management, Guedes argued that the Government can not use the pandemic to end control of public accounts.
The Minister stated that the Government’s main plan is to recover a stronger economic pace and terminate the state of public calamity at the end of this year.
“If this is not the reality, we will see what we will do (…) The main hope is mass vaccination, to allow a safe return to work, and the economy will be able to maintain the course it was on before,” he noted.