Brasilia, December 23 (RHC-NNN) -- Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said her government will have to take "drastic" economic measures in 2015 to cut spending. However, the belt-tightening measures should not "affect social programs", Rousseff, whose second four-year term begins in January, told reporters.

The “government must have greater control over other expenditures and must make some changes to reduce spending,” said Rousseff.

Despite the country's gloomy economic growth forecast for 2015, the president appeared upbeat, saying she was confident of a Brazilian economic recovery regardless of the economic situation in other countries.

According to media reports, the Brazilian government will need to trim some 100 billion reals, or 38.5 billion U.S. dollars, in public-sector spending, though Rousseff said officials have yet to debate the budget.

The global economic crisis has lasted longer than expected and the international economic recovery is lagging, even in the United States, "which has a very dynamic economy," noted Rousseff.