President Lula's dinner with businessmen on Monday brought together government representatives, including Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin, ministers Dario Durigan (Finance) and Bruno Moretti (Planning), as well as BNDES President Aloizio Mercadante, with Lula himself closing the event.
During the meeting, there were statements about the need for institutional improvements on topics such as regulatory agencies and parliamentary amendments. Concern about public security was also present among the topics discussed.
The businessmen sent messages that greater harmony between fiscal and monetary policies would help address the problem of high interest rates in Brazil. The fiscal issue appeared in some executives' speeches, but with less emphasis than expected.
On the government's side, the commitment to a fiscal adjustment of around two percentage points of GDP over a new term was reinforced. However, there were also indications from some government officials that the economic situation would require a faster adjustment.
