Resource information
This report is designed to provide
policymakers with estimates of the likely outcomes of an
array of potential changes in transportation sector policy.
To this end, the report uses a variety of economy-wide
models to simulate alternative cost reductions and
efficiency improvements. A detailed discussion of the
various policies that may yield efficiency gains and cost
reductions, as well as the specifics of their
implementation, is beyond the scope of the report. The
report is structured to move from a general description of
Brazil's transportation sector to more specific
analyses and simulations of individual and concerted
changes. The first chapter sets the stage by providing a
summary discussion of Brazil's transportation sector
that includes both an overview of its historical development
and a look at the recent evolution of government policies.
In the second chapter, the fiscal and economic effects of
shifts in public investment between alternative and
competing transportation modes (roads, railroads, and
waterways) are simulated using a fixed-price input-output
model. The report's third chapter uses a computable
general equilibrium (CGE) model to analyze the effects of
cost reductions in land transportation on macroeconomic
variables and income distribution. The fourth chapter uses a
multiregional CGE model to simulate the effects of port
efficiency improvements on regional economic development
(including short- and long-term growth, employment, and
welfare). The fifth chapter uses a similar model to analyze
the national and state-level impacts of two federal highway
projects in the state of Minas Gerais in terms of economic
growth, regional inequalities, employment, and poverty. The
last chapter summarizes the findings and provides
conclusions and recommendations.
