Local Businesses Urges Swift Transitory Lease Contract for Itajaí Port

The Business Federation Council of Santa Catarina (COFEM) is demanding the immediate signing of the transitory lease contract for the Port of Itajaí. Nearly a year without container operations has impacted the economy of the city and the state. The business sector will send a letter to authorities (parliamentarians, Antaq, Ministry of Ports and Airports, and TCU) backing the request. The issue was deliberated by COFEM on Monday, the 13th, during a meeting in Florianópolis of representatives from the State Secretariat of Ports and Airports and the City Council of Itajaí.

“The port is crucial for Santa Catarina and has been facing a challenging situation that affects the port complex of Itajaí, including Portonave. Each container movement generates an economic turnover of R$4,000 to R$5,000,” said the President of FIESC, Mario Cezar de Aguiar. “Unfortunately, this money has stopped circulating in the economy. On the main trade route of the city, 14 establishments have already closed. So, it’s a situation that affects Itaandalso the region,” explained the Deputy Secretary of Ports, Airports, and Railways of SC, Robison Coelho.

The secretary also emphasized that Portonave is directly affected because Itajaí is responsible for dredging the access channel, which has silted up due to recent rains. “And we have financial difficulty in covering this cost due to everything happening,” he added, noting that Itajaí has not operated containers since December 2022.

“We are going through a bureaucratic stage in the bidding process, and we need to ensure the signing of the transitory lease contract as soon as possible,” said Itajaí City Council member Beto Cunha, who represented the Municipal Council at the meeting. He mentioned that, after signing, the actual operation may take six months to start due to operational and bureaucratic adjustments, such as the customs process.

“Today, Itajaí has the highest default rate in the state, and companies cannot get credit due to indebtedness,” revealed Hélio Dagnoni, President of Fecomércio. According to him, on December 31, 2022, Itajaí had 7,660 active business registrations, but today, there are 6,317, meaning a decrease of 1,343 companies in less than a year.

Source: FIESC

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