Inquiries for purchase of machines grow
Valor Econômico
The environment for industrial investments improved in the second quarter of this year and stimulated a small increase both in the inquiries for new financings and in the disbursements (previously defined projects) of the BNDES (National Development Bank). The reduction in the basic interest rate and in the bank spread, the slight recovery in the demand in the domestic market and in the level of use of the installed capacity (Nuci), besides the improvement in the confidence index were pointed by entrepreneurs and economists as aspects that made the environment more favorable.
According to the data of the BNDES, the total of inquiries for new financings amounted to R$ 19.53 billion (US$ 9.76 billion) in April, a result 45.5% higher than the registered in April/2008. The amount also exceeds the average of the inquiries made between October and February, of R$ 10.5 billion (US$ 5.25 billion) a month and that were powered up by the request of R$ 25 billion (US$ 12.5 billion) made by Petrobras. In the comparison as per variable quarters, which allows evaluating a short-term trend line, it is observed 17.7% of growth in relation to the quarter ending in March.
Besides the new inquiries, the data of the BNDES gives signs of recovery in the projects underway, even though these are timid signs. The financing indicators for the acquisition of machines and equipment pointed to a 5.1% expansion in April, compared to the same month of 2008, and this expansion was backed up by the disbursement for the sector of transports. In the quarter ending in April, the disbursements increased 3.4% amounting to R$ 8.6 billion (US$ 4.3 billion).
In the evaluation per industrial sector, there was improvement in specific sectors as well. In April, compared to the same month of 2008, there were increases in the inquiries made by the following sectors: vehicles (10.8%), wood (40.5%), electricity (93.1%), chemical-pharmaceutical (62.4%), apparel, rubber and plastics (22.9%), clothing and accessories (23.1%), among others. In the comparison per variable quarter, there was increase for the following sectors: transports (4.5%), chemical (238%), furniture (5.3%), machines and equipment (35.1%), non-metal minerals (79.2%) and chemical-pharmaceutical (45.7%), among others.
The disbursements of the BNDES increased for some industrial sectors, among them metal products (increase of 12.6% in the month and 11% in the quarter), steel (19.8% in the month and 3.5% in the quarter), non-metal minerals (increase of 43.4% in the month and fall of 3.5% in the quarter), coke, oil and fuels (increase of 136.9% in the month and fall of 3.1% in the quarter). The sector of construction registered increase of 96.2% in the disbursements in April and 1.1% in the quarter. The sector of water, sewage and garbage registered increase in the inquiries of 80.9% in the month and 13.4% in the quarter.