Brazil may reduce its primary surplus target to as low as 2.5 percent from the current 3.1 percent this year to support economy growth, O Estado de S. Paulo reported, citing government officials it didn’t identify.

The government would cut the target if the international crisis gets worse, and credit and consumption measures taken so far prove not enough to allow faster expansion than last year’s 2.7 percent, according to the Sao Paulo-based newspaper.

The primary surplus excludes interest payments.

To contact the reporter on this story: Francisco Marcelino in Sao Paulo at mdeoliveira@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Sylvia Wier at swier@bloomberg.net