Most Latin American stock markets and currencies rose on Thursday, with assets in Brazil gaining on hopes of smooth progress on pension reform. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro met fellow politicians in a bid to build support to pass his government's proposal to reform the country's bloated pension system, seen by investors as crucial to trim Brazil's wide fiscal deficit.
Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes on Wednesday put up a vigorous defense of the government’s proposed pension reform, insisting it is critical to fixing the country’s “doomed” social security system but opening the door to some concessions.
Brazil’s Economy Ministry warned that the economy will slip into recession next year and official interest rates could more than double unless Congress approves measures to reduce the deficit in the country’s pension system.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro delivered his proposed pension overhaul to Congress on Wednesday, aiming to save over 1 trillion reais (US$270 billion) in a decade by changing tax rates, delaying retirement and creating individual savings accounts.
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro left hospital on Wednesday, ending a 17-day hiatus at the helm of Latin America's biggest economy during which several high-profile political issues were put on the backburner.
Brazil is going through a rudderless period as President Jair Bolsonaro lies in a hospital bed following stomach surgery, with high-priority political issues such as pension reform on the backburner until he recovers, analysts and observers say. The limbo, which has lasted more than two weeks, might finally be coming to an end this week, according to reports.
Brazil’s federal debt rose to 3.88 trillion Reais ($1.03 trillion) in December, up 8.9% from 3.56 trillion Reais a year earlier, and is expected to rise further this year, the Brazilian Treasury said. The Treasury predicts public debt this year will swell to somewhere between 4.1 trillion and 4.3 trillion Reais, the upper end of which would represent an increase of almost 11%, it outlined in its annual financing plan.
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday called for minimum retirement ages significantly lower than those proposed by his predecessor, sparking concerns among investors that he will back watered-down pension reform legislation.
Brazil’s right-wing President-elect Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday that Congress must make some progress this year on a pension reform proposed by the outgoing government before he takes office on January first.
Brazil’s political affairs minister Carlos Marun said on Monday that passage of a bill to overhaul the country’s costly social security system has effectively ground to a halt in Congress and would become a campaign issue in this year’s election.