Brazilian president: 2014 World Cup to generate 730,000 jobs

By xinhuanet.com

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 15 (Xinhua) -- President Dilma Rousseff said Tuesday the 2014 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by Brazil, will generate 730,000 new jobs in the country.

"The Cup will contribute to our development project, generating jobs and increasing workers' income. We estimate that 330,000 new formal jobs and 400,000 temporary posts will be generated," Rousseff said in her weekly column, published by several dailies in Brazil.

Rousseff also said that the World Cup will bring some 600,000 tourists to the country and boost investments in infrastructure.

"In the infrastructure sector, the investments will reach 33 billion reais (19.8 billion U.S. dollars), 68 percent of which funded by the federal government," she said, adding that those resources will be used to modernize ports and airports, and improve public security and healthcare structure.

Rousseff minimized the criticisms that many of the reforms required in the stadiums which will host Cup matches have yet to begin.

"During the Confederations Cup, which occurred a year before the South Africa World Cup, it was said that the country would not be able to finish the projects in time. But the Cup was a success," she said.