“We’ll Emerge from This Crisis Before Other Countries,” Says Brazil’s Economy Minister

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Minister estimates that approximately three months of social isolation will be required in the country to attend to health care needs during the peak of contamination.

“Five months from now we will be growing again. We will be surprising. We will emerge from this crisis before the other countries, we will make money reach the municipalities,” said the Minister when closing his speech at a videoconference hosted by the National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM).

At the meeting, Guedes advocated increasing allocations to municipalities, but reported difficulties in doing so because he believes Brazil “is full of ear-marked money, blocked in funds”. According to him, 96 percent of the governmental resources are in this position.

The minister again advocated approval of the federative pact so that each municipality could decide on the allocation of resources. “The money has to be free for the mayor to decide. There is no substitute for the local manager,” he said.