25 2016 Trends Invited by the Anfir Yearbook, three important representative organizations of Brazilian industry - Anfir, CNI and Simefre - gave their opinion on Brazil’s economic performance and that of the sectors they represent for 2016 Economists, consultants and specialists in general know it’s not always easy to make economic forecasts for 12 months in Brazil. After all, the country has a history of taking emergency measures, using economic packages and other heterodox means to change the direction of the economy from one day to the next, affecting all the segments or benefiting only some of them. Although in recent years such efforts have been resorted to less intensely, political and social pressures could influence the government and the National Congress to opt for ways that are not planned but which have immediate results. Nevertheless, based on the facts at the beginning of this year, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), the Inter-state Railroad and Highway Materials and Equipment Industry Association (Simefre) and National Association of Road Equipment Manufacturers (Anfir) agreed to be interviewed and to offer their outlooks for 2016 as a whole. They also offered suggestions which they believe could improve the country’s performance. They agreed on the difficulties that the economy and industry will face in the course of the year. However, there are signs that could offer hope for the not-too-distant period. The important thing is that, in essence, Brazil has the structural conditions to resume growth, but this potential will only be realized if action is taken that offers the market more security, say the associations. The following is what the president and director of CNI and the presidents of Simefre and Anfir had to say. CNI: retraction In early 2016, the structural conditions were not at all good for the development of the country, in the opinion of Robson Braga de Andrade, president of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI). His anal- © Roman Fedin | Dreamstime.com
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