Rousseff speaks up for economic adjustments
President Dilma Rousseff
President Dilma Rousseff expressed her support for the economic measures being implemented by the government to set the country back on the rise. In a statement made Sunday (Mar 8) on television and radio, which should come as a tribute to the International Women's Day, the president said that up to last year, the government absorbed all the negative effects of the global economic crisis, availing itself of funds from the federal budget, to protect people's development, employment, and income, but, she argues, there was no sign that the world crisis would last so long.
Rousseff noted that the corrections and adjustments made in the economy, in spite of demanding temporary sacrifices from everybody and bringing along with them unfair and excessive criticism against the government, are the way to share the negative load among society's different sectors: “They're measures for settling our debts, thus continuing the process of growth with income distribution, in a way that's safer, quicker, and more sustainable.”
“The measures are being implemented in a way that the people, the companies, and the economy are able to support them. […] This process will last as long as it's necessary to bring our economy back into balance. […] More important, however, than how long these measures are going to last, is the duration of the results, as well as their benefits, which should be perennial in the fight against inflation and in ensuring employment,” the president declared.
The president further mentioned that the strategies adopted included cutting down government spending, redressing certain distortions in some of the benefits granted to the population, and the reduction in subsidies and in tax cuts.
In her pronouncement, the president highlighted people's participation as crucial to recovering the country's growth. “You're entitled to feel angry and concerned, but I ask you to be patient and comprehending, because this situation is temporary. Brazil has all the conditions to overcome these transient problems—and this victory will come about even more quickly if we unite for this achievement,” she said.
In spite of the measures, the government promises to keep and improve its programs on infrastructure. “Our roads and railways, our ports and airports will still undergo improvements and expansion. In order to achieve that, we'll make more concession agreements, still this year, and establish new partnerships with the private sector,” she declared.
Rousseff also mentioned the country's moral and ethical strength with the practice of social justice in behalf of the poorer, and the justice against the corrupt. “This serves as an example of what's happening in the investigation—which has been comprehensive, free, and strict towards the regrettable episodes against Petrobras,” she said.
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Rousseff speaks up for economic adjustments
