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The Brazilian government announced measures on Monday to speed
up preparations to host the soccer World Cup in 2014, boosting spending and cutting
red tape for public works projects.

The move follows growing concern in recent weeks, including by
the soccer world governing body FIFA, that preparations for the sporting event
were seriously delayed.

The debate put the spotlight on numerous obstacles to investment
in Brazil’s fast-growing economy, and angered President Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva, who has been touting the tournament as an accomplishment of his
government ahead of October’s presidential election.

Brazil will also host the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
In a signing ceremony arranged at short notice, Lula pledged 5.5 billion reais
to revamp airports in the 12 cities that will host the soccer tournament. He
also lifted restrictions on the ability of cities to raise debt to pay for infrastructure
such as roads, stadiums and trains.

Lula, who called some of the concerns senseless, said the latest measures
would avoid problems Brazil had with funding the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio
de Janeiro.

The federal government also donated real estate and earmarked 740 million
reais on Monday to allow seven cities, including Rio de Janeiro, to overhaul
their ports and facilitate docking of large cruise ships. “Certainly it will be
an alternative to the lack of hotels,” said Pedro Brito, the ports minister.

Lula blamed the Sao Paulo state government, which until April was run by the
opposition presidential candidate Jose Serra, for failing to provide an
adequate stadium to host the World Cup. “Frankly, I can’t imagine a World Cup
in Brazil without Sao Paulo as one of the corners for athletes to play ball,”
Lula said during the ceremony in the capital Brasilia.