Finance Minister not stepping down, he tells CNN
Finance Minister Joaquim Levy denied any intention to resign 
Joaquim Levy has denied he has any intention to resign as Finance Minister. In an interview to the CNN Wednesday (Oct. 28), he said he is committed to Brazil's fiscal adjustment policy and again called on Congress to work to approve the government's austerity measures to balance the budget for 2016 and discuss structural reforms in such areas as Social Security.
“I'm not planning that [to resign]. The point is the policies. We have to be very clear about why we have to make certain [fiscal] efforts and what the prospects are for public spending,” Levy told program host Richard Quest.
The minister denied any willingness of the economic staff to reverse some of the austerity measures and said the economy has shown resilience amid the crisis, noting that now is the time for Congress to decide on the future. “We have to go through Congress with important measures that will support next year's budget. Particularly the improvement of some large programs and the discussion about a pension reform,” he said.
The minister again mentioned the three-step plan for the economy—fiscal adjustment first, then a recovery in demand, and finally, structural reforms to make Brazil's economy more competitive and create the conditions for the country to grow in a sustainable manner.
“First we have to fix the fiscal outlook, then we get the rebounding of the economy. And then we have to address some structural issues so that we can continue to grow after that,” Levy told Quest.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Finance Minister not stepping down, he tells CNN
