Weekly Report - 20 August 2009 (WR-09-33)

BRAZIL | Bolsa Familia. The number of poor Brazilian families benefiting from the Bolsa Familia programme of direct subsidies will reach 12m by the end of August, according to the social development ministry. It hopes that 13m families will be incorporated into the scheme by the end of 2009, receiving subsidies of between R$22 and R$220 (US$12-US$108) a month. It claims the programme has helped mitigate the effects of the economic slowdown on the poor. The opposition argues that it is a vote-buying initiative ahead of elections next year.

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