Brazil Seeks to Boost Credit by $66 Billion as Economy Lags

Brazil took steps to boost lending by as much as 150 billion reais ($66 billion) as it strives to quicken growth without stoking inflation before presidential elections in October.

Policy makers reduced capital requirements for banks by 15 billion reais, a move that could generate as much as 140 billion reais in loans, according to central bank official Caio Ferreira. They also created incentives for banks to channel as much as 10 billion reais from reserves requirements into lending.