Lula says he sees no problem in taking the country into debt to “make it grow”

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) defended, this Tuesday (12), that the country take on debt to seek development. The statement was given during a meeting of the Conselhão, the Council for Sustainable Economic and Social Development, at Palácio do Planalto.

According to him, “if this country needs to take on debt to grow, what’s the problem? Of you taking on debt to produce productive assets for this country? To invest more in mathematics,” he questioned.

He also stated that achieving the primary surplus, containing inflation and the limitations of the Fiscal Responsibility Law are “stones on the road” to the country’s growth.

“We have the path of stones, we have to decide now whether we are going to remove these stones or not. Or if we are going to reach the conclusion that, due to a problem with the Fiscal Responsibility Law, primary surplus, inflation, we cannot do it. And let’s all lose heart, go back to our little lives, where one year wins, one year loses. Today’s wage bill is smaller than in 2010. It’s a setback,” he said.

Lula’s speeches took place in a tone of defense of increased investments, in reference to previous statements that led him to criticize the goal of closing the gap in public accounts in 2024. Minister Fernando Haddad, of Finance, later managed to keep his promise and to include in the budget that the government will reach balance next year.

The president defended investments in several sectors, such as the creation of one hundred federal institutes in the area of ​​mathematics, highlighting that this is an investment, not an expense. After the Council presented proposals for the country’s development, Lula announced that he will request an economic feasibility study to evaluate the “investment” necessary to implement the measures.

The groups presented proposals related to the recovery of degraded areas, integrated policy for early childhood, technology hubs, access to credit for micro and small companies, energy transition, protection of the Amazon and combating inequalities.

The Council, reinstalled this year after interruptions in previous governments, is made up of representatives of society and members of the government, totaling 247 members.

According to Minister Alexandre Padilha, coordinator of the Council, more than 100 working group meetings were held. He highlighted the reversal of unfavorable economic expectations, stating that Brazil, after seven years, will end 2023 with economic growth of 3%, controlled inflation and unemployment falling to 7.6%.