40 Million Brazilians or 21% of Population Getting Government Help

Woman from PiauÀ­, Brazil, shows her Bolsa FamÀ­lia card Patrus Ananias, Brazil's Minister of Social Development and Hunger Alleviation, said yesterday Thursday, September 27, that the Ministry's forecasted budget for 2008 is higher than 28 billion Brazilian reais (US$ 15.2 billion), a projected increase of 14% over the budget for the current year, which was 24.5 billion reais (US$ 13.3 billion).

The Ministry's calculations indicate that the income transfer programs – Bolsa Famí­lia (Family Voucher), Cartão Alimentação (Food Card) and Auxí­lio Gás (Cooking Gas Ticket) – are reaching 40 million people in the country, or 21% of the population, which means that one out of five Brazilians benefit from one of the programs.

According to data supplied by the Ministry, annual expenditures on income transfer this year should total 9.9 billion reais (US$ 5.3 billion). "The funds destined for social development have increased four-fold during the administration of president Lula. The issue of the impoverished population is no longer a marginal subject, it is no longer approached with paternalism, but rather as a key, priority issue".

Patrus Ananias participated, in the southeastern Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, in the Special Forum of the of the National Institute of Higher Studies (Inae), presided by the former minister of Planning João Paulo dos Reis Veloso, at the head office of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). Patrus Ananias said that the income transfer policies have a positive impact on the entire economy, as the benefited persons acquire a greater purchasing power.

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil Adopts Swift’s Modest Proposal Condemning Children to Slow Death

In 1729, the writer Jonathan Swift presented what he called “A Modest Proposal” to ...

Brazilian Army Patrols Parí¡ Cities

The Brazilian army continues to patrol 17 cities in the state of Pará, in ...

Brazil Starts Massive Vaccination of 160 Million Head of Cattle

Today marks the beginning of the second phase of vaccination against hoof and mouth ...

Genival Inácio da Silva, Brazilian president's brother

Brazil’s First Brother Used Lula’s Name to Get Mafia Money, Say Police

Brazilian police have formally accused a brother of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ...

Brazil Plans to Start Production in Just-Discovered Giant Oilfield by 2010

Brazil's state-controlled oil multinational company Petrobras has plans to invest US$ 2 billion to ...

Dream on. This is not Brazil!

For dreamers, fantasists, fanatics or just bores, Brazil has become a blank page on ...

In Brazil, Courts Are Way Out of Line Censoring and Punishing Journalists

Brazilian freelance journalist and blogger Carlos Santos based in Mossoró, a town in Brazil’s ...

Herbie Mann: Brazil Was Home Too

Herbie Mann became one of the first American jazz artists to record bossa nova. ...

Past Political Scandal Brazil’s Banco Rural Is Reevaluated by Fitch

Fitch Ratings has removed from Rating Watch Negative and affirmed the long and short-term ...

Number of Major Constructors Taken to Court in Brazil Grows Over 150%

As the growth of Brazil’s real estate market continues its rapid pace court statistics ...