Federal Government promises to improve waterway policy following TCU criticism

Ministry says it remains committed to advancing projects (Disclosure/Antaq)

The Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) told A Tribuna in a statement that it welcomes the recommendations issued by the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) regarding waterway planning “in a constructive manner and recognizes the importance of external oversight for the improvement of public policies.”

As reported by A Tribuna last week, the TCU identified structural shortcomings and called for better planning by the Federal Government for Brazil’s waterway sector.

The Court concluded that the federal public policy for the sector suffers from “institutional immaturity”, low investment execution, and a lack of structured planning, despite the country’s significant logistics potential. A TCU audit found that the waterway policy has not been formalized through its own regulatory instrument, lacks a structured logical framework, and does not include indicators focused on socioeconomic outcomes.

According to MPor, the Court’s contributions are already being assessed and incorporated into efforts to improve the national waterway agenda. “The structuring of waterway concessions is an unprecedented agenda in the country and is part of a process of institutional and regulatory maturation that requires continuous improvements and the strengthening of planning and governance instruments.”

The Ministry states that it remains committed to advancing the implementation of projects, expanding private-sector participation, and strengthening investments in the sector.

“Proof of this is that, between 2019 and 2022, R\$ 716 million was invested in waterway infrastructure. Between 2023 and 2025, investments reached approximately R\$ 1.29 billion, nearly double the amount invested during the previous period. In the last year alone, approximately R\$ 500 million was allocated to Brazilian waterways.”

For 2026, the Ministry says that the proposed budget includes more than R\$ 540 million in investments.