Miguel Jorge welcomes Brasscom

On Friday afternoon the Minister for Development, Industry and Commerce (MDIC), Miguel Jorge, welcomed the president and directors of Brasscom, along with CEOs and executives from member companies to a meeting. The purpose of the meeting, held at the minister?s office in São Paulo, was to update the Ministry on the action and results achieved so far in the Information and Communication Technology sector in the scope of the Productive Development Policy (PDP), coordinated by the MDIC.
The president of Brasscom, Antônio Gil, reported to the minister on the preliminary results of two studies which are in their concluding phases, being carried out by consultancies AT Kearney and IDC, with the backing of the Ministry of Development and the Ministry of Science and Technology. The preliminary figures and comparisons of the Brazilian industry on the global IT market show very positive results for Brazilian exports, which grew by 75% from 2007 to 2008. ?We are closer to the PDP export target of US$ 3.5 billion in 2010?, Gil told Miguel Jorge. The complete data from the studies shall be released in a Press conference held by Miguel Jorge and the president of Brasscom, as agreed at the meeting. The meeting went over the agenda for Brasscom?s work on the PDP, with special attention on the recent Brasscom-Apex agreement, which shall make the Brazil Annual IT Conference possible from July 8th to 10th this year, as well as the first road show for the sector in the United States in September.

The Minister also learned about the new challenge Brasscom is working on, identifying the needs and opportunities for investment in ICT infrastructure, with a special focus on broadband access at a moderate cost and without the heavy tax burden that telecommunications struggle with in Brazil. Brasscom is having a study done by consultancy Booz&Co, which shall be ready by the end of April and the preparation of which will be accompanied by an MDIC secretary designated by the Minister. Miguel Jorge says the Federal government?s Accelerated Growth Program (PAC) is an open program and could perfectly well have a relevant agenda added to it for Information and Communication Technology infrastructure, which could from now on be called PAC?TIC.