In a meeting with President Fernando Henrique Cardoso this week, Communications Minister Juarez Quadros proposed inclusion of the 2002 revenues collected by the telecommunications universalization fund (FUST) in the Federal Budget for 2003, currently being debated by Congress. Mr Quadros said a message incorporating 2001 revenues (1.04 billion reals) into the 2002 budget has been sent to Congress, but because neither this amount nor the 1.16bn reals for 2002 will be appropriated by the end of the current year it will be necessary to carry forward the accumulated total of almost 3bn reals. Just over 300m reals itemized in this year?s budget could be transferred in this way if the Government sees the need to spend it next year, he said.
Universal services
