Occupy Brazil - scoping Brazil's economic future through a different lens

May 7, 2012 - PRLog -- With European banks repatriating funds from their overseas investments, emerging economies such as Brazil have been left to their own devices to attract alternative sources of funding from elsewhere, hence a recent Brazil Summit in New York on April 23, 2012.  Just what Brazil was asking from the Big Apple’s investment community is not exactly clear and for the most part reminded me of the infamous Occupy Wall Street movements where the overall message lacked focus.  However, there was a striking difference.  

‘Occupying Brazil’ is not about a 1% wealth disparity but rather a living success story of wealth distribution where, in contrast, 55% of the Brazilian population today are considered part of the middle class. According to Brazilian experts, over 46 million consumers qualify as recent entrants and are ready and able to buy beyond the basics.  Companies selling furniture, electronics, autos, and more are lining up with good reason to earn a piece of this burgeoning market.  Unfortunately, the onslaught of companies has introduced a new set of problems, namely, where to accommodate everyone including their offices and how to transport them around efficiently throughout each city.

Brazil’s infrastructure, which includes its roads and highways is at the heart of both its greatest success and its most severe problems.  A 45 minute drive to Sao Paolo’s airport often becomes a 5 hour ride with only minutes to spare to catch an international flight.  Having too many cars circulating through poorly maintained roads is costing the Brazilian economy billions in lost productivity.  Fortunately the government is  aware and is aggressively seeking innovative solutions to address these and other pressing issues.

Even though Brazil is considered a developing country, Brazilian leadership is not to be underestimated.  Henrique de Campos Merirelles, a former Brazilian central banker and known for his poker-face style, won the highly coveted prize of hosting the 2016 Olympic summer games against a formidable slate of candidates, which included Madrid, Tokyo, and Chicago.  Equally as impressive, Brazil will host the 2014 World Cup Soccer games for a combined investment bonanza estimated at USD$53b.  Other milestone achievements include a $225b capital investment for extracting 95 billion barrels of pre-salt oil reserves located miles under the ocean.  These type of herculean investments have helped Brazil become the sixth largest global economy with a GDP of $2.5 trillion, surpassing the United Kingdom.  By comparison, the USA is the largest economy at $15.1T followed by a distant China (but growing rapidly) at $7.3T.

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