First public hearing on the privatization of the Port of Santos held

The Minister of Infrastructure, Tarcísio Freitas, participated in the first public hearing to discuss the privatization of the Port of Santos, on the coast of São Paulo, held on the 10th. The concession period will be 35 years, extendable for up to five years.

Organized by the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq), the public hearing aims at allowing the private sector to manage the entire port complex. Consultations and public hearings are scheduled to take place until March 16.

The purpose of the hearings is to solicit contributions to improve privatization-related documents. The concession period will be 35 years, with a five-year renewal option. According to the studies, the planned investments to adapt the infrastructure of the Organized Port total R$ 16 billion, which will be spread out over the contractual term.

The meeting was attended by representatives from Antaq, the state and federal governments, the Santos Port Authority (SPA),  unions, and interested companies, in addition to Minister Tarcisio Gomes de Freitas.

“We all know how important the Port of Santos has been to the Baixada Santista over the years. And we all know how important the Port of Santos is to Brazil “, the minister stated during his presentation.

Santos – Guarujá bridge

The minister once again took a stand against constructing a bridge connecting Santos and Guarujá. The alternative supported by Freitas is an underwater tunnel connecting the banks of the municipalities.

“The bridge would extend itself over a maneuvering area and pass in front of container terminals, potentially disrupting operations. Besides, we are preparing the port to operate increasingly larger vessels and, thus, assembling the bridge would require the extension of a concession contract that already charges extremely high tariffs,” criticized the minister.

The hybrid hearing, conducted with online and in-person participants, started an hour late. After the presentation of the authorities and the reading of the rules of the meeting, the minister announced that he would leave the table to fulfill the official agenda. The hearing continued without Tarcísio’s presence.

Source: G1

To read the full original article, please click on the link below:

https://g1.globo.com/sp/santos-regiao/porto-mar/noticia/2022/02/10/ministro-da-infraestrutura-participa-da-1a-audiencia-publica-sobre-a-desestatizacao-do-porto-de-santos.ghtml

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