The president of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Aloizio Mercadante, said this Tuesday (13) that the credit released to companies in Rio Grande do Sul is double the volume of last year. 
“This whole operation is not simple. These are companies with problems with guarantees, liabilities and projects. We are helping companies to gather the necessary documents. And 84% are micro, small and medium-sized companies”, stated Mercadante, also mentioning that the granting of credit in the state has been six times faster than the BNDES average.
“The demand for credit for the industrial sector in Rio Grande do Sul, for example, is already double that of the whole of last year. I hope this is recognized,” he added.
According to BNDES, approximately R$10 billion in credit has been approved to date for companies in the state. This volume includes funds that have already been transferred and are in the process of being transferred. In addition, payments on installments of credit operations that were already underway were suspended for up to 12 months. Another initiative involved the allocation of additional resources to the FGI Peac guarantee fund, which facilitates access to financing from other banks.
Mercadante highlighted that unprecedented efforts were made to meet the state’s demands in the face of the climate tragedy related to a large volume of rain in April and May of this year, with employees working at an accelerated pace, and that this should be recognized by Governor Eduardo Leite. The rains in Rio Grande do Sul caused more than 180 deaths. The floods left several cities submerged and more than 600 thousand people had to leave their homes.
“Brazil needs to recover its republican relations,” he said. For Mercadante, partnerships can occur even amid disagreements. “You can have a political dispute on another level.”
Mercadante’s statements were made during the presentation of the financial statement of the second quarter of 2024, which also consolidated the results of the first half of the year.
Recently, Governor Eduardo Leite made public demands to the federal government for more support measures for the state.
Last week, during a demonstration in Porto Alegre held by rural producers from Rio Grande do Sul that became known as the “tractor rally” – when roads in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul were blocked to demand the release of funds for the recovery of agribusiness, Leite criticized the lack of responses from the federal government to the demands of agribusiness. “We are not satisfied with the little that they have offered the state so far and that they are putting on the table for the agribusiness of Rio Grande do Sul.”
Wanted by Brazil Agencythe government of Rio Grande do Sul did not comment on Mercadante’s statements.
