A public hearing, held on the 10th, by the National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq) highlighted the benefits of the privatization of the Port of Santos, such as private investments of more than R$ 16 billion, the generation of 60 thousand jobs, and new solutions to old problems. “With the concession, the city’s old problems will be solved, such as the Santos-Guarujá crossing, a project that has been on paper for 50 years,” said Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas, the Minister of Infrastructure. The contributions from the meeting will serve to improve the studies and to ensure the quality of the concession model. The estimated values will serve to invest in the improvement and expansion of the port’s rail system and maritime access, increasing the port capacity with the deepening of the channel from 15 to 17 meters to better serve the logistics chains. The auction is expected to take place at the end of 2022, with the signing of the contract in the first quarter of 2023. The concession period will be 30 years, extendable for up to 5 years.
Sources: Ministério da Infraestrutura/DATAGRO (*Translated by Ia Niani)