"Brazil has been invited to join the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) financial transaction plan and is about to loan up to $4.5 billion to the Fund, Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega announced on Thursday. According to Mantega, it is the first time since 1982 that Brazil joins the 'club of IMF creditors.'..." [Xinhua/Factiva]

AP adds that "...Mantega said Brazil's role as a creditor would affect the makeup but not the volume of its estimated $200 billion reserves because whatever contribution it makes will be used to purchase IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). The invitation 'shows that Brazil is seen as a country with a solid economy,' he said...." [Associated Press/Factiva]

Reuters reports that "...Brazil's inclusion in the IMF's financial transaction plan is likely to be made official by the end of the month, the Finance Ministry said in a statement....The IMF is considering various options on how to issue the $250 billion in SDRs to member countries as agreed to by the G20 in an effort to boost global liquidity, an IMF spokeswoman said on Thursday. Brazil will join countries such as Botswana and Mauritius, the two smallest contributors to the IMF's operational budget, as well as the US and Chile, among others...." [Reuters/Factiva]