Brazil taps academic to lead microeconomic reforms

The Brazilian government has invited an academic to join the finance ministry and lead a microeconomic reform agenda that aims to bolster the country's productivity, two government officials said on Monday. Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles has asked Joao Manoel Pinho de Mello, a professor with Sao Paulo-based business school Insper, to be part of his team, said the officials who asked for anonymity because the information has been made public yet.
The finance ministry press office and de Mello did not respond to requests seeking comments. At the request of President Michel Temer, Meirelles has launched a series of microeconomic measures to help reduce Brazilian's debt burden and ease financial costs to aid an economy entering its third year of recession.