Private sector advocates for greater autonomy for ports and reduction of bureaucracy

Debate in Paris highlights the need for stronger councils, longer contracts, and regulatory simplification for investments

Greater autonomy for port administrations, strengthening Port Authority Councils (CAP), improving investment conditions, and streamlining the sector are among the points advocated by key business leaders in the Brazilian port market. These points were presented Wednesday morning (10), on the second day of the seminar "Actions to Boost Brazil's Competitiveness and Expand its Prominence in the International Market," held by the Brasil Export Forum in Paris, as part of the Brasil Export Group's international mission to France this week.

The topics were presented at the request of the Minister of Ports and Airports, Sílvio Costa Filho, who is participating in the mission. According to the official, the business leaders' opinions are an "important contribution" to the proposal for a new regulatory framework for the sector, as outlined in Bill No. 733/2025, which is currently being debated by a special committee in the Chamber of Deputies.

In the audience at the seminar, there were also deputies who are part of the leadership of this commission, such as the president, Murilo Galdino (Republicanos/PB); the first vice-president, Daniela Reinehr (PL/SC), the third vice-president, Júlio Lopes (PP/RJ), and the rapporteur, Arthur Maia (União/BA).

The first to speak among the business leaders was Roberto Oliva, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Brazilian Association of Port Terminals (ABTP). He believes the new regulatory framework should provide more equal treatment between public (leased) and public-use (TUP) port terminals, particularly by creating the conditions for terminal lessees to make the necessary investments in their facilities.

"But how can we achieve this with a 20-year contract? How can we make major investments viable with such a short contract period?" "Therefore, we must work with longer contracts, with terms of up to 70 years, as provided for in the current proposal for the new regulatory framework. This is a point that must be maintained," stated Oliva.

Another point highlighted by Oliva is the importance of decentralizing decisions, currently concentrated in the Ministry, and regionalizing them, giving greater autonomy to port administrations and strengthening the role of Port Authority councils, which bring together the respective port communities in discussions on the development of their maritime complexes.

"It's crucial to regionalize discussions. It's a strategic mistake to centralize. What needs to be centralized, with all due respect, are public policies. The port authority must have the ministry, the power to define public and strategic policies. The reality in Bahia is completely different from that of Cabedelo, Paraíba, which is completely different from that of Amazonas. And centralizing all of this in Brasília, which doesn't have the resources or agility to handle all of this, is not right. The Ministry needs to be strengthened, we fully agree, but we advocate, first, decentralization," emphasized the ABTP representative.

CAP

Administrative decentralization and the strengthening of the CAPs were also highlighted by the president of the National Federation of Port Operations (Fenop), Sérgio Aquino. "The Port Coalition (a body that brings together the sector's main business associations) currently advocates not for a fully deliberative CAP, but for a CAP that is mandatory and consultative, requiring participation. The CAP cannot participate in day-to-day decisions. If we are against bureaucracy, why would we hold the administrator hostage to everything? The CAP must address strategic issues," Aquino explained.

Among the CAP's functions would be to examine political nominees for port authority boards, a way to ensure the selection of more professional and qualified leaders. "The CAP's purpose isn't to approve or veto appointments, but to analyze and criticize, potentially creating embarrassment with this criticism. And when you create political embarrassment, you begin to control partisan political influence and encourage politicians to improve their choices," explained the Fenop president.

But CAPs cannot create more bureaucracy for ports, argued Gilmara Temóteo, executive director of the Brazilian Association of Port and Waterway Entities (ABEPH). "We must strengthen our port authorities and CAPs, but within limits. They should primarily address more strategic issues, such as the PDZ (acronym for Development and Zoning Plan), which establishes the rules for the operation of the maritime complex," she said.

Autonomy

Regarding greater autonomy for port administrations, Gilmara argued that such a measure would "enable qualified investments in ports." And this process would also involve regulatory simplification. "We're not talking about the absence of regulation and control, but rather a simplification of processes."

The importance of greater autonomy for port authorities was further emphasized by Caio Morel, president of the Brazilian Association of Container Terminals (Abratec). "Today, the Port Authority of Santos has R$3 billion in cash. If they had greater autonomy, many of the necessary projects and improvements could have already been completed," he stated.