Photo:President Dilma Rousseff during her speech at the closing ceremony of the Business Meeting on Opportunities for Infrastructure Investment in Brazil, in New York

During her speech at the closing ceremony of the Business Meeting on Opportunities for Infrastructure Investment in Brazil, on Monday (Jun 29), in New York, President Dilma Rousseff gave a detailed description of the federal government's investment projects aimed at ports, airports, railways, highways, as well as in the fields of infrastructure, logistics, oil, natural gas, and energy.

Rousseff stated that the government has worked to expand and improve the concession program, and to make new investments possible under existing deals on roads and railways. Projects, she said, amount to $9.8 billion and could start right away through contract addenda.

As for ports, the president said that the plan is to advance the process of licensing private-use harbor terminals for both the companies' and third parties' cargoes. Also, the government should further invite tenders for public leases. Projects are expected to attract investments totaling $3.8 billion.

She further said that, with regard to airports, the new round of concessions will benefit four Brazilian capitals with great potential for economic development. The federal government, she stated, will expand local airports and make sure there is appropriate transportation for both cargoes and passengers.

Rousseff explained that Brazil is interested in railways that would connect the main areas for the production of grains, ores, commodities, and manufactured goods to the ports. The idea is to link the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, the president said.

Altogether, investments in the Brazilian economy are expected to reach $63.2 billion—of which approximately $22.3 billion up would kick in by 2018. Rousseff went on to say that the government intends to carry out another round of tenders for oil and natural gas blocks. Furthermore, the plan for investment in electric energy covering up to 2018 should be unveiled by August.

While talking about Brazil-US ties, the president mentioned the $116 billion invested in Brazil in 2013, and the currently active 3,000 US companies in the country in such diverse fields as oil, natural gas, electric energy, banking, telecom, real estate, automobiles, metal work, and agriculture. Rousseff further said that Brazil and the US have a lot in common. “Like the United States, Brazil is a continental country. We have a large consumer market; we're a great market economy; we have a tradition of transparency; we respect contracts; and have solid institutions as far as legal security is concerned.” She added that the two countries are democratic societies with strong institutions, and political stability, which respect press freedom.