Brazil government to invest $3.6bn in Sao Paulo

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Wednesday announced $3.6 billion in federal investments in infrastructure projects in Sao Paulo, the country's economic capital and most populous city. The biggest share -- $1.3 billion -- is to go to urban mobility projects while the rest will finance drainage works, water recuperation and housing programs. Rousseff made the announcement here at a ceremony attended by Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad. "To guarantee fast, safe and quality public transport is one of the axes to combat inequality," she said. She added that 99 kilometers (59 miles) of bus corridors would be built to complement the existing 126 kilometers (78 miles). And $657 million will be allocated to social housing programs "to improve living conditions" for the people of Sao Paulo, she added. Early last month, Sao Paulo, a city of 11 million people, was hit by massive street demonstrations to protest public transport fare increases. The protests quickly spread nationwide and mushroomed to include demands for increased funding for education and health as well as for an end to endemic corruption. Questions were also raised over the high cost of staging next year's World Cup. Responding to the public anger, Sao Paulo and other major cities moved to scrap the mass transit fare hikes. Recent polls have shown that the nationwide social turmoil has dragged down Rousseff's popularity, with her standing sinking from 71 percent in early June to 45 percent last week, a little over a year before scheduled national elections.