From the point of view of economic expectations, 2020 starts better than 2019 in the view of 12 businessmen from large companies consulted by GLOBO over the course of a business month.
Working in different sectors — from consumption and education to agribusiness and transportation — they forecast more robust growth this year and the resumption of investments.
This is not cheerleading optimism. The bets on the expansion of the economy are in line with the projections made by the market at the beginning of this new year.
The country is expected to grow somewhere between 1.5% and 3%, still modest indices, but more expressive than that registered in the last three years — 1%.
Investment Business
— The important thing is to look in the rearview mirror and see that Brazil has definitively moved away from the crisis that marked the second half of the last decade — says André Clark Juliano.
The president of the Brazilian operation of Siemens, an industrial conglomerate with businesses in the energy, automation and health sectors, among others.
This optimism is based on a fundamental change: investment is being directed to the productive sector, with the basic interest rate.
As at the level of 4.5%, Brazil loses its attractiveness for investors who came to speculate and earn with high rates.
Just as the perspective for this year is for more resources to improve production conditions, such as expanding factories and training the workforce.
— We already feel more willingness to invest in innovation in our supply chain, which is positive for productivity in retail — says the Frenchman Noël Prioux.
Noel is president of the Brazilian arm of global retailer Carrefour.
The good humor of the business community, however, does not mean blindness to risks. The external scenario is the biggest factor of uncertainty.
Despite the stalemate in trade negotiations between the United States and China and doubts about the new Argentine government.
These factors could hinder Brazilian ambitions to sell more to these markets. Especially last week, the US-Iran crisis emerged as a new concern.
In short, in the chapter on internal risks, there is the progress of the reform agenda. Entrepreneurs demand speed, especially in tax matters. If it goes ahead, there is a great chance that the business community will end the year even more optimistic than it started.
