Brazil will receive US$6 billion from the World Bank.

The president of the World Bank (IBRD), Roberto Zoellick, stated today that Brazil will receive between US$5 billion and US$6 billion in loans from the institution starting in July. Of this total, US$3,5 billion will be for projects in the Northeast region of Brazil. The average loan amount to Brazil has been around US$3,1 billion in recent years. In 2010, it was US$3,7 billion.

Zoellick said that the World Bank wants to focus on the Northeastern states to take advantage of the growth occurring in the region. "The Northeast of Brazil is growing faster than the rest of the country. It's quite unique," he stated. According to him, it is necessary to overcome the fiscal constraints of the states to attract more long-term investments. The World Bank president said that in recent years the bank has directed 80% of its loans to states and municipalities.

Zoellick will discuss tomorrow with President Dilma Rousseff the topics for the next G-20 meeting, with emphasis on security, food, and commodity prices. The success of the Bolsa Família program will also be addressed. According to him, millions of people are still living in poverty. Zoellick said that the World Bank has used Brazil's experience in other countries.

Zoellick highlighted that it is also necessary to reduce the "Brazil cost," one of the problems most cited by Brazilian businesspeople. "The topic of the 'Brazil cost' always comes up and leads to less efficiency. This is important for the future. Brazil is a major producer of commodities, but the commodities boom doesn't last forever," he stated. "It's good to develop services and manufacturing," he added.

He said the bank could also help structure the privatization model for Brazilian airports. "The idea is not to finance everything, but to share experiences," he stated. Another area that the World Bank could support is the formation of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).