New Brazilian administration brings changes to infrastructure and logistics. Find out more.

The Minister of Ports and Airports, Márcio França, began working on regulating BR do Mar, legislation that changed the rules for chartering vessels in the country. The issue was discussed on the evening of Jan. 4, whose goal was to go over a decree to regulate Law 14,301/2022.

Despite the law being passed on January 2022, no regulatory decree has been issued. Without further regulations, the program cannot be fully implemented. The previous federal administration promised to expand cabotage navigation in the country, mainly in the field of container transportation, bringing more ships and reducing freight costs, which has not occurred so far.

In an event promoted by ANTAQ (National Waterway Transportation Agency) last year, a representative of the former Ministry of Infrastructure said that the long-awaited decree would be published by the end of September. However, three months have passed since then, and discussions have not progressed.

The last administration was also stricken by an impasse between the Ministry of Economy, which supported two-to-four-year long-term contracts to allow easier entry and exit by companies in the cabotage market, and the Ministry of Infrastructure (now dismembered into smaller ministries), which wanted long-term contracts lasting between 10 and 15 years to make companies commit to the modal.

MDIC

At the inauguration ceremony of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services on Wednesday (4), vice-president Geraldo Alckmin, who will head the Ministry, argued that there is plenty of liquidity in the world and said that “with good projects [of infrastructure and logistics] it is possible to attract more investments.” Furthermore, the minister highlighted the importance of international agreements in the sector to “conquer new markets.” In addition, Alckmin declared that it is “imperative to make an effort to reduce interest rates” at the BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development), which is necessary, according to him, to encourage more investments.

ANA as MMA division

With the presence of Verônica Sánchez, the director-president of ANA (National Water Agency), on the stage of her inauguration, Marina Siva – the minister of MMA (Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change) – confirmed that the regulatory agency is now under her.

That will allow the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change to participate from the beginning in transport infrastructure projects and others. “Formerly, the MMA only entered the stage after the project was completed to analyze whether it complied with regulations or not, but we are going to reverse this,” added her, also saying that, in this way, the projects will move more quickly and “controversies” will be avoided.

Source: Agência Infra

To read the full original reporting, please visit: https://www.agenciainfra.com/blog/franca-inicia-tratativas-sobre-decreto-de-regulamentacao-do-br-do-mar/

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