Businessman Luiz Césio Caetano, 74 years old, took office this Monday (14) as president of the Federation of Industries of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan). He takes over from Eduardo Eugenio Gouvêa Vieira, who spent 29 years at the helm of the institution. The new president, who is a shareholder of Sal Cisne and director of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), will serve a four-year term, until 2028.
“We have enormous challenges in this country and we need to advance in the issue of public security, in the energy transition, in defending the interests of industry, so that it is more present in society”, said Caetano during the inauguration. “We will work to contribute to tackling these issues, effectively and tirelessly to defend the interests of our industry, in an even more agile, dynamic, participatory, purposeful and innovative Firjan”.
In the inauguration speech, the external factors that impact the country were also highlighted. The new president of Firjan cited conflicts in the Middle East, the war between Russia and Ukraine and trade disputes between the United States and China.
“Promoting local production chains can help reduce dependence on global chains, which are increasingly affected by conflicts on a global scale like the ones we are experiencing at the moment,” said the new president. “Over the years, Firjan has accumulated expertise and gained institutional weight that enables us to think and act considering this global context. We have all the capacity and legitimacy to propose paths to greater prosperity, more inclusion, more development.”
Present at the ceremony, the vice-president, Geraldo Alckmin, highlighted the strategic role of the industry in the country’s development. And he said he expects the sector to be the main responsible for the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) this year.
“It is the industry that will make the difference this year. We see enormous possibilities for growth”, said Alckmin. “We are promoting stimulus measures for the sector that are already having positive results for the economy. And we remain at Firjan’s disposal to work together to make the industry grow even further.
