The president of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Aloizio Mercadante, said that he fought hard for the democratization of Brazil and that he takes office at a challenging time for the country, which has suffered the most serious threat to the Democratic State of Law since the end of the military dictatorship. Upon taking office today (6th) at the bank’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Mercadante stated that respect for voting sovereignty, democratic institutions and the Brazilian Constitution “is a fundamental requirement for the new BNDES board and for the entire Brazilian society and, this time, president, without amnesty”, addressing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, present at the ceremony.
Mercadante highlighted the role of the president in guaranteeing democracy in the country. “Only its history, the quality of its governments, its commitment to the country and its ability to build alliances could defeat the authoritarianism and setbacks that threatened to devastate the civilizing achievements of the Brazilian people”, he said, also commenting on the “right choice” of Geraldo Alckmin, also present at the inauguration, for the Vice-Presidency of the Republic. “An unlikely and essential choice, which brought together two complementary experiences for electoral victory and for the union and reconstruction of Brazil”, he highlighted.
According to Mercadante, when President Lula climbed the ramp of the Planalto Palace for this third term, he was not alone. “The same ramp that would be barbarously raped a week later by the scammers, he did not climb alone. With him, the desperate mother went up without having anything to feed her children. With it rose 33 million hungry Brazilians and 10 million unemployed. With Lula, tens of millions of workers who are not entitled to decent wages have also risen. With him, black men and women from Brazil rose, the victims of deep structural racism that massacres life and dreams,” he said.
“With him, the women of Brazil, victims of femicide and those who earn a fraction of men’s salaries to do the same work, rose. With Lula, the relatives and friends of the 700,000 victims of covid, abandoned by a denialist government, rose. With Lula, Raoni and all the emaciated and sick Yanomami, terrifying victims of the genocidal government, went up the ramp. With him, the power and dreams and desires of all and everyone went up the ramp, because they are the ones who are here now. Just look at who was invisible, enough hear the voices that were not heard. There are many Lula and there are millions of Lula”, he added.
BNDES
According to Mercadante, BNDES is the largest development bank in the Americas and has been at the forefront of making long-term financing viable in the country’s major development cycles. Among the successful cases, he cited the aircraft manufacturer Embraer. “Only eight countries in the world have the technological capacity to produce aircraft and Brazil is one of them. Today, Embraer is a success story of Brazilian talent that, in 125 years, has had BRL 25 billion in financing from the BNDES for the export of 1,275 aircraft to numerous countries,” he pointed out, adding that the bank must have a strategic vision.
Export
The institution’s new management planning includes support for exports. According to Mercadante, Brazil cannot be restricted to the export of agricultural products, of which it is a great exponent. “Ninety-eight percent of the existing market in the world is outside Brazil. In order to be competitive, Brazilian companies need to compete in this market and gain scale, competitiveness and efficiency. This is a fundamental agenda for the future of the BNDES, the industry and Brazil. As the minister has said [do Desenvolvimento, Indústria, Comércio e Serviços] Alckmin, always demanding in our management, we need to export”, he concluded.
In Mercadante’s view, the BNDES should support the pre- and post-shipment of exports of goods and products. “Actually, President, we are developing a project to set up an Eximbank [banco financiador de exportações] in Brazil at the BNDES, as already exists in the main economies of the world”, he revealed.
The new management, according to the president of the bank, will support with more determination the growth and modernization of micro, small and medium-sized companies, which are great generators of jobs and income. “The great challenge for the success of the agenda for micro, small and medium-sized companies will be in partnership with the National Congress and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Nivation. We will debate to adjust the long-term rate, the TLP, that the BNDES uses today”, he commented.
Environment
Mercadante also defended a radical change in the economic and financial system to face the climate and social emergency, without which the planet has no chance of surviving and prospering. “We are very close to an environmental catastrophe of no return, and the social tragedy is everywhere”, he said, adding that the BNDES needs to support the low-carbon economy.
“Transitioning to a low-carbon economy with green, low-emission jobs is an imperative that will guide the bank’s strategy, but we need to do more. There will be no future without preserving the Amazon and other biomes. This will be a BNDES priority for the future,” he said.
The vice-president and minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, said that Brazil is experiencing optimism because it has returned to world representation and “it’s the time of day”, with the election of Lula, who, throughout the electoral campaign, defended stability, predictability, credibility and “democracy always, dictatorship never again”. Alckmin also highlighted that the dialogue between the Powers of the Republic and the three levels of government also contribute to this moment in the country. “It brings fundamental legal security for investment in our country. In fact, the election of mayor It’s from senate president translates these moments where the government base was fundamental and the dialogue built the two elections”, he said.
In Alckmin’s view, the elections in both houses will be important for the progress of the tax reform. “Both presidents pledged to accelerate the forwarding of fundamental tax reform, essential for flourishing industry and economic efficiency,” he said.
