Vice President Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) praised the Italian economic model last Thursday (27), citing it as a reference to be observed.
The statement was made during the launch of the tender for the construction of the Santos-Guarujá tunnel, in the state of São Paulo.
The project, with an estimated cost of R$6 billion, will improve logistics and contribute to the “development” of the Port of Santos, the largest in Latin America and from where part of Brazilian exports go to the European Union.
“Italy is a great example of small companies that export,” said Alckmin, who is also the Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, alongside President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans).
According to Alckmin, to increase sales abroad, Brazil will adopt a model similar to the Italian one, investing in improving the infrastructure of the region close to the Port of Santos, including the tunnel to Guarujá, a megaproject measuring 1,5 kilometers in length, 870 meters of which are underwater.
“The importance of the port lies in exports. Last year, Brazil exported US$333 billion, and a third of that volume passed through Santos,” said the vice president, who defended the increase in trade with the EU.
“President Lula signed the Mercosur-EU agreement in Uruguay last December. A historic agreement, which covers 720 million people and a GDP of US$22 trillion,” he stressed. (HANDLE)
