By 2018, the middle class in Brazil will reach 60% of the population.
The forecast was made by Dilma during a meeting with American and Brazilian business leaders in Washington.
Brazil Agency - President Dilma Rousseff reiterated yesterday (9), in Washington, United States, that the global economic crisis imposes on everyone the search for overcoming paradigms and new opportunities. In the Brazilian case, the growth of the middle class is the stimulus for the country to maintain efforts for economic growth, said the president. According to her, more Brazilians will be included in this niche of society, reaching 60% of the population in 2018.
“[The middle class] is key to the strength and growth capacity of our country’s economy,” the president affirmed during a meeting with American and Brazilian business leaders, as well as representatives from various universities. “The international economic crisis presents us with immense challenges. But it has also been an opportunity to overcome paradigms.”
Dilma recalled that Brazil has been striving to overcome economic difficulties on solid foundations. She emphasized that Brazil currently has net reserves exceeding its external debt. She also highlighted that in 2002, Brazil's net debt as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 64%, and now it is at 36,5%.
The president also said that the government's efforts are aimed at providing greater transparency in public spending and applying federal resources appropriately. According to her, this commitment is part of a choice made by the public and private sectors, as well as by Brazilian society: "It is important to highlight this initiative, which comes from the government, businesses, and the Brazilian people."
For Dilma, there is a "clear option" in Brazil to stimulate economic growth with measures of social justice and more democracy. "We seek a mass consumer market that is a form of social justice," she said, noting that the changes in Brazil reflect what is happening in the world as a whole.
In defending the participation of the middle class as a driving force in the economy, Dilma recalled that a similar process is occurring in Russia, India, China, and South Africa, countries that make up the BRICS bloc. She reiterated that the five countries have large territorial extensions and common challenges to pursue, such as the inclusion of marginalized, poor, and hungry classes.
President Dilma's two-day visit to the United States ends today (10). Yesterday, she was in Washington and today she will spend the day in Boston, where she will go to Harvard and Massachusetts universities. At both, the president is expected to present partnerships for the Science without Borders program.