On Tuesday, December 8, the Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies was unable to complete the vote on Bill 4199/20, to encourage cabotage, known as BR do Mar. The text counts as a constitutional urgency and has blocked the agenda. Despite this, the parliamentarians of the Chamber approved on the basic text of the BR do Mar proposal in the form of the substitute presented by the rapporteur, deputy Gurgel (PSL-RJ), to the original of the Executive Branch. Although most of the highlights have already been analyzed, six remain to be analyzed, which may alter the proposal. The project progressively releases the use of foreign vessels in Brazil without the obligation to contract the construction of units at local shipyards. Once the future law is passed, the text predicts that companies will be able to rent vessels to operate in cargo transportation. An amendment presented was approved in order to reintroduce incentives for the formation of a national fleet and to try to ensure the regularity of the coastal shipping service. The idea was in the Executive’s original but had been excluded by the rapporteur. Another approved highlight presented ensures a source of financing for dredging services in port areas and on waterways in order to stimulate waterway transport of cargo. The objective is to increase the competitiveness of this modal. The government leader in the Chamber, deputy Ricardo Barros (PP-PR), predicts that the project will reduce the so-called “Brazil cost” by R $ 3 billion.
Sources: Agência Câmara de Notícias/Datamar News