Brazil’s finance minister says outstanding issues on fiscal package resolved

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s finance minister said on Monday that remaining stumbling blocks to a fiscal package aimed at curbing mandatory expenses had been resolved, but he added that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wants to include a new point in the talks.

The Brazilian real currency has weakened to multi-year lows against the U.S. dollar in recent weeks amid government delays to announce a fiscal package to stem a rapid rise in mandatory spending.

Finance Minister Fernando Haddad told journalists on Monday that outstanding issues which had held up discussions over the package last week were resolved.

Haddad said he will speak with Lula on Tuesday about presenting the package to Lower House and Senate chiefs, adding he believed the measures could be approved by Congress this year.