Brazil may cut spending again by year-end -Mantega

BRASILIA, July 14 (Reuters) - Brazil's government may cut spending further in coming months to guarantee its target for the primary budget surplus in 2009, Finance Minister Guido Mantega said on Tuesday.

The primary surplus, which excludes interest payments on Brazil's massive public debt, was reduced earlier this year to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2009 from 3.8 percent as the government sought to spark growth with public works projects.

"In order to achieve this surplus, it was already necessary for us to cut spending," Mantega said at a news conference. "If it is necessary, we will make further spending cuts by the end of the year to guarantee this goal, to make sure we achieve this fiscal result." (Reporting by Ana Nicolaci; Writing by Elzio Barreto; Editing by James Dalgleish)