BRASILIA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Brazil raised the minimum wage standard by around 50 reais (28.57 U.S. dollars) in its 2010 budget, which totals 1.86 trillion reais (1.06 trillion dollars), according to the Federal Senate.

    The budget draft, already approved by the Chamber of Deputies and Federal Senate, was submitted to President Luiz Inacio Lula daSilva on Thursday by Federal Senate President Jose Sarney, and is awaiting Lula's approval, said Sarney's press office.

    In the draft, the minimum wage standard in 2010 will increase from 465 to 510 reais (265.71 to 291.43 dollars).

    Out of the whole budget, 1.17 trillion reais (668.57 billion dollars) is allocated to tax and social security, 596.2 billion reais (340.69 billion dollars) for public debt, 94.4 billion reais (53.94 billion dollars) for investment in federal state companies, and 66.6 billion reais (38.49 billion dollars) for health care.

    Lula, who is on a short vacation in Bahia, northeastern Brazil, will look over the budget draft when he returns to Brasilia next week.

Special Report:  Global Financial Crisis