Speech by the President of the Republic, Michel Temer, during the opening ceremony of the 30th São Paulo International Motor Show - São Paulo/SP
São Paulo/SP, 08 November 2018
I want to salute everyone, and initially say that I will not mention the name of all the authorities that have already been mentioned countless times, OK, Megale? Let me tell a curious episode. On one occasion I received President Jorge Sampaio of Portugal, when I was President of the Chamber of Deputies, and he told me the following story. He said "Temer, I was in Rio yesterday and I heard 10 speakers and there were 25 authorities. And each authority, each speaker, mentioned all 25 of those authorities. So I heard the names of the authorities 250 times". I shall then take care not to tire you.
But, while not mentioning names of the Executive branch and industry authorities here, I do want to pay special tribute to the Legislative branch. And so I want to mention the name of the federal deputies and state deputies present here. Because, in fact, it is due to this partnership between the productive sector and National Congress and, of course, through us, me, Marcos Jorge, all the ministers, [that we achieved] this victory that was announced here at the opening ceremony of the Motor Show.
That is why I want to mention, first of all, Alfredo Kaefer, who was the rapporteur of Route 2030, and deserves applause.
Beto Mansur, Daniel Almeida, Damião Feliciano, Gilberto Nascimento, Herculano Passos and Ms. Rita Passos, Hugo Leal, Marcelo Matos, Ana Lívia Feliciana, deputy governor of the state of Paraíba.
Finally, all those present here.
And, interestingly... Just now, before I got here, you know that we've gone through several stands and we've seen extraordinary technological breakthroughs. Megale and Alarico, when I checked out these extraordinary technological breakthroughs, I said, "Interestingly, I, us, who worked so hard for 2030, for Route 2030, we are here with our fingers crossed." Because just last night, as it was approved in the Chamber of Deputies, there was a certain concern. Will the Senate have quorum, for example, to approve the bill? And, if there is a quorum, will it pass? And so I confess I was a little bit afflicted. Imagine if I'm here, about to sign the regulatory decree, and suddenly comes the news that there was no quorum or that the measure was not approved. I would leave here under boos. Now we're going to get out with applause, aren't we?
But I was saying that, in fact, from the outside, the great satisfaction with which I visit the International Motor Show is, of course, the result of the competence and dedication of Anfavea, Abeifa and Reed, of those who organised this event at Fenabrave and so many others, isn't it?
But as I said, as I went through the stands, I said, "Look, it is interesting how important Route 2030 is. Because without Route 2030, there has already been this much technological advance. Now with Route 2030, advances will be much greater" So when we come to the Motor Show next year, surely and certainly other technological advances will be presented to all visitors.
But I want very much to insist on this thesis that I mentioned earlier, which is the conjugation, the cooperation, the connection between private activity and the public sector. And in the public sector, absolute harmony between the powers of the state. I thought Mauro Lopes and Newton Cardoso Junior had left, but they are here, aren't they? And Newton Cardoso Filho, Junior, with his son. So, I want to salute them as well.
But I was saying that this extraordinary connection between private initiative and public power is what has allowed us to get here. And look, Megale, you have accompanied - haven't you, Marun? - the bombardment that we had in our administration from the very first moment. A bombardment that came, on the one hand, through the natural activity, let's say, of oppositionists, which is natural and understandable. On the other hand, there were the most varied plots that have been attempted to try to make the government unfeasible. Even, we must admit, even attempts to overthrow the government. But we are here a month and a half from the end of our term, and we have fulfilled our mandate in full, and we managed to move forward, let us agree.
Let us face it, my friends, it's not easy to arrive in office... I'll make an aside here. You know we're making the transition. And we began the transition now, a civilised transition. Civilised and constitutionally determined. We have two months. We started a few days ago to make this transition. Transmitting to those who arrive, to those who have been elected sovereignly by popular will... We are transmitting all government data. Not only what has been done, but what still needs to be done. And a lot is still ahead.
Very well. When we arrived in office - Marun remembers that, as do Walter and everyone - we did not find anyone in the Palace. We did not find anyone in the ministries, and, moreover, when we went to examine the computers, naturally, [that were used by] the government programmes, everything had been erased. There was absolutely nothing.
We started from scratch, but starting from scratch, we got together - did we not, Vinicius? - and we said: "Look, we will overcome these difficulties. What is the negative GDP we have in the country? GDP is -5.9 in May 2016. Let's make it positive". We took over in May. When we got to December, GDP was already at -3.6, that is, we had advanced by 2.3 points. Then next year, in 2017, GDP was already positive at 1%, that is, in a year and a half, we advanced by 6.9%. And now, this year, GDP will be equally positive. But equally positive because we had, by virtue of an extraordinary harmony of our team, we had the ability to say: "Look, it is unbearable, this inflation of 10.28, we have to reduce it". And when, a while ago, it was at 2.95, and now we are estimating that it will stay in the centre of the target, that is, 4.5, less than 4.5%. The 14.25 interest rate was also unbearable. So in a very short time, we managed to reduce it and it came down to 6.50. Measures that have been taken with a view to the development of the country.
State-Owned Enterprises all had major issues, and we enforced a law that we also had to approve in National Congress and provided for adjustments, for the moralisation of SOEs. And Petrobras, as you remember, four years ago was almost a dirty word. Today, it is recognised, it is once again recognised nationally and internationally, with extraordinary profits. Banco do Brasil, just to give another example of a State-Owned Enterprise... When we arrived, Caffarelli told me: "Shares were worth R$ 15.00, today they are worth R$ 45.00", that is, the value of the public asset increased threefold. Likewise at Caixa Econômica Federal. Likewise at Correios [Brazil's Postal Service], which was not making profit, but has now returned to operating on a profit.
And, interestingly, all this, I say again, is the result of the intense dialogue we have maintained with the Legislative branch and with Brazilian society. For example, when we did the labour reform - which was a brave, daring reform, that is already starting to work - we did it by talking to the trade union federations and talking with the federations of industry, commerce, services etc. And such has been its success that, you see, we are going to close the year with at least one million more formal job contracts, and more than 2 million job posts. A job post here means the following: people who started with a small activity, who had no way to start it, initiate it before, and have now started a small activity.
So we have a number there that indicates, as I said to the president-elect yesterday... I said to him: "Look, I'm doing my best to give you a paved road. We took over on a bumpy road, and we're giving you a paved road. You can speed ahead with your vehicle, appointed as you were to do so by the Brazilian people, or come to the Motor Show, get a car and drive through this fertile path that we have carved”.
So, at this moment, I want to congratulate once again the automotive industry of the country, which has grown enormously. The exact numbers were mentioned here before, but it grew enormously. It was one of the fastest-growing sectors. And it represents a large percentage, if I am not mistaken, 4% of the Brazilian GDP, is it not? And that is thanks to you.
So, let's say, a government is not built on its own, it is built on democracy, with the participation of private initiative. In particular, with the productive sectors of the country, which is industry, commerce and workers. And we have made this connection, we have made this junction and, moreover, we are working hard; we have worked in the past, and I say again: you know that we were bombarded at will. But you never heard a word from the administration in reply, saying that such a sector or such activity unduly accused us of this and that. We never said that; on the contrary, we tried to form partnerships. Because the pacification of the country is very important.
I said yesterday, in a very brief statement, I said: "Look, you often have a political-electoral moment, which is the moment before the election." Of course, there is controversy, there are conflicts and often even exaggerations, overreactions. Moods are bristling. But when the political-electoral moment passes, you enter another moment, which is the one we are living in, which is the political-administrative moment. And when you arrive at the political-administrative moment, everyone, without exception, has to unite around the common good. Even the opposition in democracies is important, because in a democracy, the opposition oversees. And many, many times, the opposition makes criticisms, and whoever is in government realises that criticism is appropriate and takes a more appropriate path.
So it's important that we understand this mechanism, isn't it? But we know that, at this moment, we all belong to a single team called Brazil. This is the great reality.
And in this Team Brazil, Megale, everyone, my friends and exhibitors here... I want to say that this Team Brazil owes much to the collaboration that you have given to national development and that the Executive, the Chamber of Deputies and National Congress have given today by approving Route 2030.