The recent downturn in the Brazilian economy slowed down the country’s productive sector, significantly impacting the competitiveness of the industry in strategic areas such as infrastructure.

In a country with 13.2 million unemployed, investing in infrastructure is one of the most effective ways to warm up the economy and create jobs. The shortage and deficiency in terms of supply,

quality and accessibility to infrastructure is largely due to poor investment in the sector, with an average of 1.5% of GDP invested in the last two years. On the public side, this amount reached only 0.4% of GDP in 2018 - the lowest level in the last 10 years.

Just to keep the current infrastructure assets, investments would be necessary in the order of 3% of GDP per year and, to modernize and expand the infrastructure it would be essential to invest over 4% of GDP per year. To reach this level, it is paramount to increase the participation of private sector, both national and foreign, in the investments and operation of infrastructure services.

The Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP) and the Center of Industries of the State of São Paulo (CIESP) emphasize the importance of partnerships between the public and private sectors as a foundation for the resumption of growth and development, giving the private sector the role of allocating the necessary resources, bringing technological innovations and a more efficient management model. Such initiative directs the private sector to perform what is proven it does better and preserves the Government´s role as a development inducer - responsible for planning, regulation and supervision of infrastructure services.

FIESP and CIESP believe that the infrastructure will require billions of Reais in new investments in the coming years and reaffirm their commitment to the country’s development by launching the “Doing Infrastructure in Brazil”. The guide aims to help foreign investors enter the sector, identifying business opportunities and legal, regulatory and institutional peculiarities in the Energy, Logistics & Transportation, Telecommunications, Sanitation and Mining industries.

Fiesp and Ciesp, in partnership with Madrona Advogados and Alvarez & Marsal Consultoria Empresarial do Brasil, launched the "Doing Infrastructure in Brazil" guide during the workshop "New Investments in Infrastructure", held today (June 10), at headquarters of Fiesp.