Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social plans to create an internal group to assess the bank's financing performance, Valor Econômico reported, citing CEO Maria Silvia Bastos Marques.

According to Marques, the state-run bank's plan is to analyze smaller loans internally and hire consultants with international expertise to evaluate larger loans.

"We are evaluating methodologies. Our intention is to make a more simplified assessment for smaller projects and a more sophisticated one for larger ones," the executive was quoted as saying at an event in Rio de Janeiro.

Since Bastos took office at the end of the first half, she has been promoting several changes to the bank's financing guidelines, which are now focused on infrastructure, social projects and clean energy, the Dec. 12 report said.

Meanwhile, BNDES is raising the loan limits for small and midsized enterprises to 300 million Brazilian reais from 90 million reais for financing purposes, Valor reported separately Dec. 13.

The bank expects to increase disbursements to this segment by 20% as 1,500 new firms are expected to garner access to the bank's SME credit line in 2017. Under the new rules, loan operations will be approved within two business days instead of 30, the publication noted.

Moreover, BNDES has reportedly doubled its financing of micro and small enterprises through its credit card service.

As of Dec. 13, US$1 was equivalent to 3.33 Brazilian reais.