Brazil’s Government Aims to Foster Economic Development in the Amazon

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – “We are developing a new philosophy of environmental preservation that is not only restricted to protection, but also tries to lead to the generation of jobs, and opportunities,” Ernesto Araújo said in a speech at the Brazil 2019 Investment Forum.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in order for the proposal to proceed, private sector efforts, including foreign investors, are required.

“We want to generate jobs for everyone in the Amazon, to turn that region into a new economic hub for sustainable development, essentially based on private investment,” he added.

According to Araújo, this proposal also includes indigenous communities. “We want to give the indigenous peoples of Brazil, who are as much Brazilians as we are, the possibility to drive growth, to use their lands and their wealth,” he said.

Speaking at the same event, President Jair Bolsonaro also stressed the need to economically exploit the riches of the Amazon region, such as tourism potential and mineral wealth.

“Do what is good for us and for humanity. We want to legalize mining in the region for whites and Indians, for their own good,” he said.

Bolsonaro said, however, that there are obstacles in the legislation to encourage this development model. As an example, he mentioned the case of rice producers who were forced to leave the Raposa Serra do Sol indigenous reserve in Roraima.

“It is a very rich state, but it is bound by a number of laws that we would like to change, for the good of its people. And its people are white, black and Indians, particularly Indians who want to be integrated, who are sometimes poor landowners sitting atop wealthy lands”.

Bolsonaro asks investors for confidence and says he wants to share wealth

President Jair Bolsonaro also called for investors’ confidence, saying that it is necessary to bridge the gap between progress and environmental preservation.

“Brazil has mineral reserves, biodiversity, drinking water, large, coveted empty spaces, natural wealth, our seven wetlands, a wonderful coastline, national parks, we have everything to be that dream nation of us all. And we want to share this with you, the gentlemen who are here believing in Brazil,” he said.

“I, as the coach of a team of 22 ministers, in order for us to take to the field and win the game I need to have their trust, they need to trust me, so that you can also trust us and believe that this country has, in fact, changed,” he said.

Business opportunity

In this third edition of the forum, the goal is to introduce foreign investors to business opportunities in strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy, such as infrastructure, energy, agribusiness, technology, and innovation.

The event is organized by the Brazilian government, through Apex-Brasil, and the ministries of Economy and Foreign Affairs, in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

During the forum, economic measures and improvements in the business environment, such as the Social Welfare reform and the Economic Freedom Law, will be featured as attractive to foreign investors, in order to generate profit and employability.

Economy Minister Paulo Guedes emphasized trade agreements, Brazil’s rapprochement with several countries, business unlocking, privatizations, approval of reforms and changes in the business environment through deregulation, privatization and leveraging of private credit.

Source: Agência Brasil