Brazil’s ‘paperworkless’ program brings modernization and efficiency to ports

A seminar on the Porto Sem Papel (Paperworkless Port; free translation) project, part of a modernization and streamlining process for Brazilian ports, took place in Brasília on Friday (March 8). The “Porto Sem Papel” Seminar saw the participation of the National Secretary of Ports and Waterborne Transportation of the Ministry of Ports and Airports, Alex Sandro de Ávila, and the Director of Port Management and Modernization, Fábio Lavor Teixeira, along with other experts linked to the Brazilian port sector.

The Porto Sem Papel system, launched in 2011, was created by the Federal Government to reduce bureaucracy, promote agility, generate savings, and make the maritime sector more practical, clean, and efficient. The program is now implemented in 100% of the 35 Brazilian public ports and 150 private terminals (TUPs), representing 85% of the total TUPs. Managed by the National Secretariat of Ports and WaterborneTransport (SNPTA) of the Ministry of Ports, the system seeks to develop new functionalities and improve processes to streamline information flow in ports.

Alex Avila emphasized that advancements in the Porto Sem Papel system concerning inland navigation enable progress in inland waterborne movement, making strides in management and expediting operations, further facilitating the flow of products nationwide. “With the reduction in operation time, Brazil’s costs will be minimized making national products more competitive in the foreign market. Ships that previously spent about 20 days docked in ports in 2023 saw this timeframe reduced to 7 days,” he added, emphasizing that the average time in 2024 (compared to the previous year) is 4 days.

The collaboration between port stakeholders, such as Anvisa, the Navy, the Federal Police, and Port Authorities, in a single system, allows for streamlined processes, resulting in less bureaucracy for users and better use of public resources, directing them to other demands related to transportation infrastructure.

Over the past three years, Porto Sem Papel has made strides, driven by participation in the Startup gov.br program of the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services. Loyane de Sousa Tavares, Director of Digital Transformation Diffusion, commented: “In recent years, we saw a significant increase in operations and efficiency.” The goals for 2024 include issuing new regulations, promoting integration with the Foreign Trade Portal, and employing Artificial Intelligence in processes to optimize operations.

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