MPor creates Working Group to standardize concession rules for ports, airports and waterways

The Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) announced the creation of a Working Group (GT) to standardize the rules applicable to port, airport and waterway concession processes. The initiative aims to increase legal certainty, increase regulatory predictability and make infrastructure projects more attractive to investors.

The GT must always consider the economic and regulatory impacts in its decisions, in addition to analyzing aspects related to legal certainty, based on precedents from the Federal Audit Court (TCU).

From an economic perspective, the standardization of rules tends to reduce investors’ perception of risk, contributing to a reduction in the weighted average cost of capital of projects. The measure could also increase the attractiveness of concessions and facilitate the financing of new infrastructure projects.

The Minister of Ports and Airports, Tomé Franca, stated that the government presented good projects and achieved important institutional stability in recent years.

“The relationship with the Executive Branch, with the courts, this is important for those who are investing in Brazil and, naturally, the strengthening of agencies to be able to provide regulatory stability. This tripod is fundamental so that we can consolidate and grow this infrastructure cycle”, added the minister.

The Working Group will be coordinated by the Special Advisory of the Ministerial Cabinet and will have representatives from the Executive Secretariat, National Secretariat of Waterways and Navigation (SNHN), the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) and the National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq). Experts and external entities will be able to participate in the discussions, but without the right to vote.

The final report will have a deadline of 90 days to be presented and will include the studies developed and proposed guidelines for public policies and regulatory improvements.

Tiago Faierstein, CEO of Anac, believes that the integration promoted by the group strengthens the national infrastructure as a whole: “There is no developed country without developed port and airport sectors. What is being done here is something that is also not historically cultural, which is integration. We need to attract investment. We need to talk to the private sector and understand how we create a favorable environment”, he stated.