Brazilian cookie exports totaled US$ 114 million last year, which represented growth of 24.5% over 2007. In terms of volume, the growth was 4.1%, which represents 46,000 tons. The figures were disclosed this Tuesday, January 20, by the Brazilian National Cookie Industry Association (Anib).
The main buyer markets for Brazilian cookies were Angola, which represented 22% of the total, Paraguay, with 13%, Argentina, with 9%, Uruguay, with 8.9% and the United States, with 7.7%. The difference with regard to 2007 was Uruguay, which exceeded the United States in the ranking. In the list of main buyers are also England, Germany and France.
The most exported products were stuffed cookies, which represented 38% of the total, and wafers, with 30%. The sector ended the year with shipments of 1.17 million tons, against 1.13 million in 2007.
The estimate for 2009 is for growth of 2.2% in volumes shipped. "With regard to the value, we should follow inflation," stated the vice president at Anib, José dos Santos dos Reis, in a company press statement.
According to the association, in absolute terms, Brazil has remained as the second main cookie market in the world, losing only to the United States. With regard to per capita consumption, the country is in the 12th position, with an of six kilograms a year per person.
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Brazilian real estate developer Odebrecht's investments in Angola have surpassed US$ 600 million, the president at the company, EmÀlio Odebrecht, announced last week in Angolan capital Luanda. Speaking after an audience with the Angola's president, José Eduardo dos Santos, Odebrecht explained that the volume of investment includes only ongoing projects, but he asserted that "several others" are underway, especially in the interior of the Portuguese-speaking African country.
Civil construction is the main sector in which Odebrecht operates in Angola, especially infrastructure work. However, the president of the company stated that Odebrecht should also bet on food production in the future.
Along with construction companies from Portugal and China, Odebrecht is taking part in the multi-million dollar process for the reconstruction of Angola, which began after the civil war ended, in 2002, funded by revenues from oil exploration, and the high international market prices of the barrel of oil.
In the food sector, Odebrecht is aiming for corn and food production, and has announced that projects are already underway in the province of Malange.
"Our main objective is to manufacture sugar, in order to make Angola a self-sufficient country. The greatest challenge facing us right now though, let there be no doubt about it is to transfer to Angola all of our know-how and technology," said the president.
Thus, stated Emílio Odebrecht, the company intends to "support and participate actively in the development of Angola."
Lusa
]]>According to Antenor Carlos Rosida, regional secretary for Caritas Brasileira, a Catholic organization that has worked with refugees for over 20 years, Caritas and other organizations work together with government agencies.
"Our work consists of providing legal aid, along with social, psychological and healthcare assistance. We help them legalize their situation in Brazil and cope in general," he says.
The government agency that handles refugees is the National Refugee Committee, which is housed in the Ministry of Justice, and works with organizations such as Caritas and representatives of the UN.
At the moment, Brazil participates in a UN "resettlement program" for refugees who have fled a country to a neighboring country where they remain in danger. This is the case of refugees in Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica who left Colombia. Some of them have been moved to Brazil were they are safer.
Most of the refugees in Brazil are from Angola. In order to be accepted as a refugee in Brazil a person must leave his country of origin due to persecution because of race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion.
ABr
]]>According to Vasconcelos, a proposal is being analyzed by the Presidential Civilian Advisory Staff to submit in the form of a bill to the National Congress, defining Eletrobrás’ participation in the sale of engineering services and activities in the areas of consultation and monitoring.
The company president explained that three investment prospects are already in the pipeline. Eletrobrás plans to join in the creation of a binational enterprise in Namibia and Angola, in Africa.
The project is a power plant with the capacity to generate 560 megawatts, on the Cuneine River. The plant will be built by a consortium comprising the Brazilian firms Furnas Electric Centrals (a subsidiary of Eletrobrás), Odebrecht, and Engevix. Vasconcelos estimates that the investment will total US$ 600 million.
Another project, involving an estimated investment of US$ 260 million, is a power plant, also with the capacity to generate 560 megawatts, on the Lempa River, in El Salvador, in Central America. The Andrade Gutierrez construction company will be Eletrobrás’ partner in this undertaking.
The third project will be the installation of a power line in Argentina. "Eletrobrás is exporting technology it has acquired over a period of 44 years," Vasconcelos concluded.
Agência Brasil
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