APS presents resources reserved for works on the Santos-Guarujá tunnel

The president of the Santos Port Authority (APS), Anderson Pomini, presented last Thursday (19) to the minister of ports and airports, Silvio Costa Filho, documents showing that the entity has available the R$ 2.6 billion needed to pay its share to finance the work on the emerging tunnel that will connect the cities of Santos and Guarujá. Pomini showed Costa Filho that the amount is in the port authority’s accounts at Banco do Brasil.

The transfer of resources by APS is provided for under the terms of the partnership for financing the works signed with the government of the state of São Paulo, which must contribute the same amount to carry out the project. Pomini highlighted, however, that APS cannot release the amounts relating to its share until it has access to the contract signed by the state with the contractor that won the bid for the construction of the tunnel and until governance measures are formalized that guarantee supervision of the correct application of public resources.

He explained that he follows guidance from the Federal Audit Court (TCU), a body to which he appealed because he did not have official access to the contract signed between the contractor and the state government relating to the Santos-Guarujá tunnel. “As we did not have access to the contract, we went to the TCU and received the response that the state government and APS need to formalize governance measures”.

Pomini informed that this condition is fundamental for the supervision of the federal public resources that will be invested in the work and that, without guarantees, the money cannot be released. But he guaranteed that joint measures will be taken and that these adjustments will not affect the work schedule.

Agenda

Pomini and Costa Filho were together on an extensive agenda for the minister at the Port of Santos, which brought together authorities and company representatives to sign contracts, announce works and detail investments in the Santos port complex. The meeting takes place just a few days after Costa Filho, who intends to run for re-election as federal deputy for Pernambuco, leaves command of MPor to meet the deadline for non-compliance, as provided for in electoral legislation.

Pomini, who has been at the head of APS since April 2023, is one of the names floated to take Costa Filho’s place at the head of the ministry. Another candidate, according to sources heard by Portos e Navios, is the current executive secretary of MPor, Tomé Franca. They claim that, behind the scenes, Pomini is the favorite name of the so-called ‘more political wing’ of the government.