08/14/2008 08h03
SP creates agency to promote investments
Valor Econômico 08/14/2008
The State House of Representatives of São Paulo passed yesterday the creation of the São Paulo Agency for the Promotion of Investments and Competitiveness "
Investe São Paulo", a project developed by the state government to stimulate the entrance of new companies in the State and to give support to those already installed therein. The purpose is to have an agency in the government that makes the intermediation between the public sector and the private initiative. On one side, the agency detects the needs of the market; on the other, it provides the government with guidelines to promote new policies of promotion to the economy. With the approval, the project awaits for the sanction of Governor José Serra, what should take place in early September. According to the São Paulo Vice-Governor and secretary of Development Alberto Goldman the agency is expected to be regulated until the end of next month, so that it may start working in October. "Initially, it will be formed by a very small team with nearly 50 employees", he says. The role of the agency will be to provide the companies interested in investing in the State information and guide them on the procedures required to get installed in São Paulo. In order to perform this work,
Investe São Paulo will have a Board formed by representatives of the state secretariats and by private agents and three executive officers. The estimated cost of the agency, which will be connected to the State Secretariat of Development, is nearly R$ 8 million (US$ 5.1 million) a year. The government of São Paulo believes the initiative will increase competitiveness in the economy of the State. "The agency will help providing the coordinates of all procedures required for investments to take place", Goldman says.
