The National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) allocated R$25.7 billion for initiatives associated with the reconstruction of 464 cities in Rio Grande do Sul affected by the storms that hit almost all of Rio Grande do Sul between April and May this year.
The resources that the public development bank mobilized between June this year and last week covered 8,568 credit operations; more than 5 thousand guarantee operations and the suspension of payments in 72 thousand contracts.
Credit operations were funded with resources from the Social Fund, through the program BNDES Emergencywhich allocated around R$17.17 billion to companies in Rio Grande do Sul affected by the consequences of the climate tragedy. According to the bank, around R$11.8 billion, or 69% of this total, was allocated to micro, small and medium-sized operations.
Already with the Emergency Program for Access to Solidarity Credit, whose fund (FGI Peac Solidarity Credit RS) acts as a guarantor in credit operations for rural producers, individual micro-entrepreneurs (MEIs) and micro, small and medium-sized companies, it was possible to leverage R$3.76 billion in credit operations at partner financial institutions, guaranteeing 5,040 financing operations.
The suspension of payments in financing contracts reached R$4.77 billion, in more than 72 thousand operations carried out together with partner banks. Of this total, around R$3.97 billion, or approximately 75% of the total, was directed to micro, small and medium-sized companies, in addition to rural producers (75%).
The information was released this Tuesday (17), in Porto Alegre, by the director of Digital Credit for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Maria Fernanda Coelho, and by the national secretary for Support for Reconstruction of Rio Grande do Sul ( SEARS), Maneco Hassen.
BNDES credit was granted in three forms: working capital, for immediate cash needs, aimed at maintaining or resuming activities; acquisition of machinery and equipment, to restore the affected production capacity, and investment and reconstruction, for projects to implement and recover physical facilities, such as factories, warehouses, warehouses and administrative or commercial buildings. Together, the industry, commerce and services sectors accounted for around 52% of operations.
In a note, the BNDES highlighted as “an emblematic case” of support the R$ 1.4 billion granted to RGE Sul Distribuidora de Energia, a company that serves around 7.1 million people, being responsible for distributing around 65 % of electrical energy consumed in the state. In the same vein, BNDES financed R$265 million for actions that allowed the recovery of Salgado Filho International Airport, in Porto Alegre; R$373 million for the recovery and resumption of activities at the Luiz Fogliatto Maritime Terminal (Termasa) and R$125 million in working capital for the Viasul concessionaire to reestablish traffic on its network, interrupted by 101 blockage points.
“Some BNDES Emergencial operations helped not only to preserve existing jobs, but also to create new jobs”, assures the bank, citing the case of Astória Indústria de Papéis, which obtained financing of R$54.7 million, transferred by the Regional Development Bank of the Extremo Sul (BRDE), for the reconstruction and modernization of the industrial park, in Gravataí. “With more modern machinery, the project guarantees greater environmental efficiency and competitiveness, allowing production to double and increasing the number of direct jobs from 196 to 210.”
* With information from the BNDES News Agency
