How to Heal the Brazilian Economy

June 16, 2021

The Brazilian economy has been suffering from a double disease in the last few decades: a combination of anemia in productivity increases and an obesity of the public sector. On the one hand, the mediocre performance of productivity in Brazil in recent decades has limited its GDP growth potential. On the other, the expansion of public spending has become increasingly incompatible with such limits on the potential expansion of GDP, particularly since the growing public spending has not achieved commensurate socioeconomic results.

Speakers
Otaviano Canuto
Senior Fellow
Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, principal at Center for Macroeconomics and Development and non-resident fellow at Brookings Institute. Former Vice President and Executive Director at the World Bank, Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Vice President at the Inter-American Development Bank. He was also Deputy Minister for international affairs at Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, as well as professor of economics at University of São Paulo (USP) and University of Campinas (UNICAMP). ...

RELATED CONTENT

  • Authors
    October 26, 2023
    The Brazilian economy is stuck in a so-called middle-income trap—growth that stalled long before Brazil caught up with the living standards of the highly industrialized countries. After exhibiting a stellar performance in the decades before the 1980s, the economy has since been unable to sustain growth for long periods. The predicament can be summarized using a medical analogy: Brazil has been suffering from both productivity anemia and public sector bloat. On the one hand, it hasn ...
  • Authors
    Jean Louis-Sarbib
    October 18, 2023
    Addressing inequalities in all their forms has emerged as one of the major global challenges faced by numerous countries across the globe, particularly in Africa. In a context where Africa faces many pressing challenges that are the subject of much analysis (Sarbib et al. 2022), there is a clear gap in conducting comprehensive reviews focused on inequalities, partly due to the lack of available data. Inequalities, which are both consequences and partial causes of poor development o ...
  • October 13, 2023
    ChairJorgelina A. do Rosario, Emerging Market Correspondent, Thomson Reuters Speakers Barry Eichengreen, Professor of Economics, University of California Berkeley Martin Guzmán, Co-President, Initiative for Policy Dialogue, Columbia University Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor, Central...
  • Authors
    Xiaofeng Wang
    October 13, 2023
    The surprising victory of Javier Milei, the unconventional ‘anarcho-capitalist’ candidate, in the August primaries ahead of Argentina’s October 2023 general election, can be largely credited to his commitment to dollarize the Argentine economy, a move perceived as the ultimate solution to bring an end to the nation's economic turmoil. The potential shift from the local currency to the dollar has sparked concerns about Argentina's bilateral currency swap line with China. This swap l ...
  • October 13, 2023
    Chair: Masood Ahmed, President, Center for Global Development (CGD) Speakers: Niels Annen, Parliament State Secretary, Ministry of Economic Cooperation, Germany Michael Hugman, Director, Climate Finance, Climate Children's Investment Fund Foundation Avinash Persaud, Advisor, Prime...
  • October 12, 2023
      Chair                           - Donald Kaberuka, Former President, African Development Bank (AfDB) Presenter              - Hamza Saoudi, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) Discussants                 - Ted Ahlers, Director, Africa and the Middle East, Ce...
  • October 12, 2023
    Keynote Address: The Role of Morocco in Africa’s Development - Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade, Morocco   Closing Session - Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade, Morocco   - Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Former Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India - Suma C...