Brazil tries to help industry again

BRASILIA Wed Jun 19 (Reuters): The Brazilian government on Wednesday announced measures to help exporters and local factories, its latest attempt to bolster industries that have yet to benefit from earlier, costly efforts.
The new measures, which include more subsidised lending to industries and tax credits to exporters of manufactured goods, are the latest in a string of more than two dozen failed attempts over the last three years to invigorate Latin America's largest economy.
Growing pessimism among businessmen and consumers has slowed an economy that only a few years ago was an emerging-market star. This year it is expected to slow further and grow just over 1 per cent.
President Dilma Rousseff is again trying to bolster confidence.
 While the leftist remains the clear favourite to win the Oct. 5 election, the combination of slow growth and high inflation has hit her popularity.
Finance Minister Guido Mantega said the government would also reduce the percentage of back taxes that smaller companies have to pay in cash under its settlement programme.
 The government will hold the industrial tax rate for construction material and capital goods at zero, he said.