By Bianca Oliveira
SAO PAULO – According to data from the Central Bank (BC), released last Thursday (4), the Midwest and North regions recorded a rise in the level of economic activity amid the pandemic of Covid-19 of 0.2% and 0.4% respectively. Brazil’s GDP in 2020 stood at -4.1% and the other regions fell.
The Regional Economic Activity Index of BC explains that, although the entire Brazilian economy has been damaged by the pandemic, this impact occurred differently between the regions, according to their economic specificities and the distribution of emergency aid.
In the Midwest region, the positive performance is largely due to food production, reflecting the combination of a record grain harvest and commodity prices, mainly soybeans and meats, which boosted foreign sales.
In the Federal District (DF), for example, the economy grew more than 1%, according to deputy governor Paco Britto. In an interview with Dire news agency, he said that in 2020 more than 400 public works were carried out, which generated more than 20 thousand jobs. For 2021, the perspective is to continue the same economic policy.
“2021 will be very difficult but we will launch many works, Governor Ibaneis intends to make DF a real construction site. Thanks to the sale of Energy Company of Brasilia (CEB), the Fiscal Recovery Program, among others, we will have resources to launch and contract the works. So I believe this is a difficult year, but, as last year, we will have growth and we will make the launch of works for that”, explains Britto.
In the North, the economy was stimulated by trade performance, explained by the increase in the income of families in the region through access to emergency aid. According to a study by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), 57% of households in the North received the benefit.
BRASILE. SOIA E CARNE TRAINANO LA CRESCITA DEL CENTRO-OVEST
SAN PAOLO – Le regioni del Centro-ovest e del Nord del Brasile hanno fatto registrare un aumento rispettivamente dello 0,2 e dello 0,4 dell’attività economica durante la pandemia,