BRASILIA, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Brazil’s economy is likely to start 2017 without substantial growth and accelerate over the course of the year, Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles told journalists on Wednesday.

By the fourth quarter of 2017, Meirelles said the government expected the economy to be growing 2.8 percent compared to the same period of this year. (Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Writing by Brad Haynes)