Encontro Porto & Mar in Santos discusses regional impacts and port management

The challenges of the Port Authority and the impacts of the Port on cities will be discussed at the event (Alexsander Ferraz/AT)

The challenges of port management in Brazil and the relationship between the Port of Santos and the municipalities of the Baixada Santista will be discussed at the Encontro Porto & Mar on the 26th, starting at 2:00 p.m., at the headquarters of Grupo Tribuna, in Santos. The meeting will bring together public authorities and sector leaders (see the program below).

One of the invited guests, the mayor of Praia Grande, Alberto Mourão (MDB), advocates for a broad discussion on the impacts of port activity in the metropolitan region. “It is not possible to discuss the port only in terms of draft depth or concessions. The external side must be discussed, because it does not function if the outside does not function. If the surrounding area does not work, neighboring cities will not function economically either.”

Mourão stated that expanding road infrastructure is a priority. In his view, the main bottleneck lies in mobility, especially in the Sistema Anchieta-Imigrantes (SAI). “We depend heavily on the full operation of Imigrantes. We have four lanes, three of which are occupied by trucks”, he said.

“The discussion of a third lane is essential, but it must effectively solve the uphill traffic”, the mayor emphasized, reinforcing that the challenge is to balance logistics and tourism. “We need to ensure the safe movement of trucks as well as tourists and vacationers.”

The head of the Executive Branch calls for an integrated vision for regional development. “The Port of Santos impacts Cubatão, São Vicente, and Praia Grande. In the past five years, container storage terminals and support activities have already reached close to Vila Mirim.”

The mayor of Guarujá, Farid Madi (Pode), stated that he maintains “productive conversations with the Port Authority” and is eager to discuss “urban mobility, such as access roads and surrounding infrastructure, as well as the construction site (tunnel) in Vicente de Carvalho, which is expected to generate more than 5,000 direct jobs.”

Meanwhile, the mayor of Cubatão, César Nascimento (PSD), will argue at the meeting that Cubatão is the solution to the problems of the Port of Santos. “We have areas for new berths, for retro-port and industrial activities that generate economic development in line with environmental issues”, he said.

Nascimento emphasized that Cubatão cannot bear only the burden of the annual record volumes but must be integrated into the expansion and modernization actions of the Port. “We need investments in workforce qualification and mobility. No cargo reaches the Port of Santos by trucks or trains without passing through Cubatão.”

The president of the Autoridade Portuária de Santos (APS), Anderson Pomini, highlighted that “APS maintains ongoing dialogue with city governments and understands the position of mayors regarding the positive and negative impacts of the port complex.”

Pomini noted that “with the support of the municipalities, it will be possible to attract new investments, generate jobs, and make the Port more efficient, contributing to the economy and human development of the Baixada Santista.”

Registrations for the event must be completed here.

PROGRAM

2:30 p.m. WELCOME REMARKS Paulo Alexandre Barbosa Federal Deputy

2:30 p.m. OFFICIAL OPENING Rogério Santos Mayor of Santos Farid Madi Mayor of Guarujá César Nascimento Mayor of Cubatão Alberto Mourão Mayor of Praia Grande

3:00 p.m. THE ROLE OF PUBLIC AGENTS AND THE CHALLENGES IN PORT AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT Anderson Pomini President of the Autoridade Portuária de Santos (APS)

3:30 p.m. PANEL: THE MISMATCH BETWEEN THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS Flávia Pontilhão Coordination Manager for Inspection at the Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários (Antaq) Fábio Ferraz Government Secretary of Santos Jesualdo Silva CEO of the Associação Brasileira dos Terminais Portuários (ABTP) Washington Flores CEO of Bandeirantes Deicmar Fabio Siccherino CEO of DP World Brasil Denis Gerage Amorim State Deputy Secretary for Logistics and Transport

4:40 p.m. Q&A SESSION PORTO & MAR COLUMNISTS

5:00 p.m. TRIBUNA TALKS: PORT AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT BOTTLENECKS Anderson Pomini President of APS Luiz Fernando Garcia President of Portos do Paraná Ernesto Sampaio President of Companhia Docas de São Sebastião

6:00 p.m. CLOSING COFFEE BREAK