Govt. to promote software exports

Brazil's federal government will step up its promotion of local software exports, which in 2002 accounted for only US$100mn worth of exports, against US$1.1bn in imports, local daily Jornal do Comercio reported. Arthur Pereira Nunes, chairman of the Internet committee of Brazil's science and technology ministry, said the government was seeking to encourage the local IT industry and at the same time improve the country's trade balance and lessen the dependence on imported technology. The declaration was made in Rio de Janeiro at an international conference on the information society. Held on June 26-28, the conference was organized and organized by the Rio state secretary of state for science, technology and innovation. The secretary of state said one of the measures already being put in practice locally is the liberalization of credit for software companies intending to expand internationally. The BNDES development bank awards these credit facilities.