2016 Brazil Business Forum Held in Tampa
Tampa, Florida, February 8, 2016 (Newswire.com) - The Brazil-Florida Business Council, Inc. hosted the 2016 Brazil Business Forum on January 12 at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Tampa. More than 90 businesspeople listened to a panel of renowned experts as they discussed Brazil’s economic and political outlook, as well as business and investment developments and opportunities.
“In keeping with the mission of the Brazil-Florida Business Council, this program was designed to foster the exchange of ideas [and] disseminate business intelligence,” said Sueli Bonaparte, Founding President of the Brazil-Florida Business Council, Inc., during the introductory remarks to the event.
The panel included Mona Clayton, Partner, Forensic Services, PwC Miami; Christopher Garman, Head of Country Analysis & Managing Director, Eurasia Group, DC; Lisa Schineller, Managing Director, Sovereign Ratings, Standard & Poor, New York; Rafael Vianello, Partner, Brazilian Tax Desk, PwC New York; and Bruno Magalhães Xavier, Partner on secondment-US-Brazil Business Center, PwC NY.
Lisa Schineller and Christopher Garman assessed the current political and economic backdrop in Brazil. Garman called the “perfect storm.” He said that although the crisis is likely to deepen and that impeaching Brazil’s leadership is not a solution, the current turmoil will pave the way for reformist drive, ultimately forcing necessary government reforms.
Bruno Xavier said the takeaway message from the forum is that despite the current adversities the Brazilian economy is facing, “there are tremendous opportunities for foreign investors these days in Brazil,” and that the economic and political uncertainties “have made Brazilian assets to be extremely cheap for investors," which makes the largest economy in Latin America to be the perfect investment destination.
Rafael Vianello stressed that individuals can benefit from investment opportunities in Brazil through tax incentives, such as exemptions of capital gains and dividend distributions, but he warned of the consequences of not making careful initial decisions as a beginning investor in Brazil. He said, " You can have some challenges to overcome that are not desirable for any business.”
Mike Quackenbush Jr., Managing Partner, PwC Tampa, delivered the welcoming remarks and Marco Franca, Vice President, Brazil-Florida Business Council and Partner, Aquila Brazil LLC, moderated the forum.
About The Brazil-Florida Business Council, Inc.
The Brazil-Florida Business Council, Inc. ("BFBC") is an independent, not-for-profit business association based in Tampa, Florida. It was established in 2014 to forge closer ties between the business communities of Brazil and Florida by fostering bilateral trade and investment opportunities in both regions. To learn more visit www.brazilfloridabusiness.com, or email at info@brazilfloridabusiness.com
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