Milei appoints Gastón Alejo Benvenuto as head of Port Administration

By Decree 26/2024, Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, appointed Gastón Alejo Benvenuto as the new intervening officer of the General Ports Administration State Company (AGP).

The AGP is the state entity responsible for the Buenos Aires port’s administration, management, and operation, the only one with national jurisdiction. Since September 2021, it has also overseen the Paraná-Paraguay waterway.

Established in 1956, the AGP emerged when the former National Grain Board dissolved, and the ports of Bahía Blanca, Quequén, Rosario, and San Martín/San Lorenzo were transferred to its management. Subsequently, the ports of Diamante and Palermo were also assigned to the AGP. However, in the 1990s, all these ports transitioned to provincial administration, leaving only the Buenos Aires Port under its purview.

In 2021, the AGP temporarily assumed the management of the Paraná-Paraguay waterway, a crucial water route for Argentine foreign trade—a role it continues to fulfill.

Its primary function is to act as the port authority in its jurisdiction, involving dredging, signaling, obstacle removal, waterway enablement, and maneuvering areas.

Moreover, the AGP grants concessions and authorizations for port works and operations. It is also responsible for keeping the waterway navigable through dredging and signaling activities, often contracted to service companies. It also holds the authority to levy tolls on vessels navigating through it.

Gastón Alejo Benvenuto takes over from José Carlos Mario Beni, who has served as Interventor of the AGP since May 2020. Expectations are high for the new appointee to drive improvements in the efficiency of state-controlled ports.

Source: ArgenPorts

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