Tax & Spend

Brazil Unlikely to Hit 2024 Zero-Deficit Target, Lula Says

  • Government has pledged to eliminate primary deficit next year
  • Balanced budget is key priority for Finance Minister Haddad

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Photographer: Andressa Anholete/Bloomberg
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Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva cast doubt on his government’s ability to hit its own zero-deficit target next year, saying he would not cut spending on priority projects to reach a goal he considers unnecessary.

The government will not “establish a fiscal target that requires us to start the year by cutting billions from projects that are priorities for this country,” Lula told reporters Friday in Brasilia.