Falling unemployment, low interest rates and government programmes have helped spur a housing recovery.

Some funds would also come from reduced spending on existing government programmes, he said.

However, he said any new government programmes would now go on hold to conserve finances.

In other words, money will be pulled from other government programmes to fund the grant.

Millions of Brazilians, with support from federal government programmes, have been lifted out of poverty.

The expenditure ceiling on government programmes, for the next three years, has thus been revised to R16-billion.

The company temporarily closed its manufacturing facilities and implemented work time reduction with the support of government programmes.

As controversial crisis-era government programmes go, few were as reviled as JobBridge, which closed to new entrants yesterday.

Using market values also helps gauge the impact of government programmes or occurrences such as natural disasters on the economy.

Relevant government programmes include irrigation projects, dry-land management initiatives and development projects designed to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The US may also seek to strengthen its hand to promote American goods for "Buy America" government programmes.

Aid workers say its recent agricultural success is down both to good weather and government programmes that got fertiliser to farmers.

Mr Salwai said the plan was ambitious, and will seek to ensure that all government programmes seek to enhance the themes.

The IMF said there would have to be higher tax, cuts to government programmes and more effort to ensure tax compliance.

Health officials say the drop is the result of government programmes encouraging people to use condoms and have fewer sexual partners.

Blaming mismanagement by the previous government , Mr Ling Stuckey said bad news was coming in the form of cuts to government programmes.