Navegue Simples Program presents calendar and advances in reducing bureaucracy in the port sector

The Interinstitutional Technical Committee of the Navegue Simples program, coordinated by the Ministry of Ports and Airports, held last Friday (13) the first ordinary meeting of 2026 outlining the route for the “2nd Wave” of deliveries. The meeting evaluated results and defined goals to unlock investments and modernize Brazilian port management, focusing on legal security and reducing the so-called “Brazil Cost”.

At the meeting, a Working Group (GT) was created focused on new business opportunities. The objective is to study and prospect technological trends for the unconventional use of public port assets, mapping trends in energy transition, sustainable fuels and sanitation, aligning national infrastructure with global demands.

“Navegue Simples is not just a management effort, it is a key change in the country’s logistics mentality. Debating the direction of the program and listening to the sector is essential so that solutions are not restricted to normative acts”, stated the director of Sectoral Policies, Planning and Innovation at Mpor, Tetsu Koike.

The action panel, currently being prepared, was also presented, which will allow GT to monitor the program’s activities online. In the environment, it will be possible to integrate with external systems from other bodies such as the Union Heritage Secretariat (SPU), National Ports Secretariat (SNP) and Ibama. The objective is to provide transparency to the actions and facilitate dialogue between the members of the six GTs that make up Navegue Simples.

In parallel, the Government is working on a new interministerial ordinance to replace the current rules for the transfer of public waters (SPU Ordinance 7,145/2018), with a focus on ensuring legal security for installations outside the organized port area. There is also an effort to reduce the time for economic-financial rebalancing of lease contracts, which is currently around two years, which includes the publication of a new EVTEA Manual (Technical, Economic and Environmental Feasibility Studies) later this year.

According to Renildo Barros, Superintendent of Grants at Antaq, “the objective is to provide greater autonomy, speed and efficiency to port investments. The EVTEA represents a complex stage in the decision-making process and, added to the monitoring of investments, ends up demanding significant time and resources from both the private sector and public authorities. The proposal is to make this process more agile, stimulating new investments and reducing bureaucratic obstacles.”

Environment

Sustainability and innovation in the port sector were also addressed in the debate on the adaptation of Ibama’s normative instructions to the recent changes in the General Environmental Licensing Law (15,190/2025) and the ongoing public consultation to improve the National Port Research, Development and Innovation Policy.

The program has also promoted greater integration between public bodies and the private sector, strengthening institutional coordination and the exchange of information. “This synergy has contributed to making processes more predictable and efficient, including in environmental matters, by bringing together the areas responsible for port planning, asset management and environmental licensing”, says Koike. “As a result, initiatives aimed at making procedures compatible, reducing regulatory overlaps and developing solutions that reconcile expansion of port infrastructure with sustainability and environmental protection are advancing”, he concludes.

Calendar
For 2026, the Navegue Simples Program committee confirmed the calendar of actions: on May 5th and 6th, the Innovation Caravan will be held at the Port of Paranaguá (PR); the ports of Maceió (AL), Rio Grande (RS) and Navegantes (SC) have dates scheduled in the months of July and September. Rio de Janeiro hosts the Inova Portos event in June and the 2nd Wave of the program will be launched on September 30th.

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