Navigate Simple program has decree published

The Navigate Simple program was officially established by the Federal Government through Decree 12,078, published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday. The goal is to unlock concessions for private-use terminals (TUPs) and leases in public ports, concluding processes within 12 months. Part of the new Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), the planned investments reach R\$ 5.4 billions.

Announced in November 2023 by the minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, during the Antaq Summit organized by Grupo Tribuna in Santos, the program was officially launched on the 18th in Brasília. The main mission of Navigate Simple is to streamline, innovate and simplify the port concessions governed by the Ports Law.

"Previously, the concession processes took three, four, five years, with rework and bureaucracy. Navigate Simple was created to reduce this time to 12 months, enabling major developments for Brazil", said the minister at the program's launch.

The decree establishes the simplification and unification of laws, norms, regulations, concession models and authorization procedures, for more efficient contract management, reducing regulatory and administrative burdens, promoting transparency, predictability, legal certainty and reducing deadlines and costs.

Existing contracts can also be reviewed with the scope of Navigate Simple. The Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) will be responsible for planning and managing the program, while the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq) will provide technical support for activities.

MPor may enter into partnership agreements, technical cooperation, conventions, decentralized execution agreements with federal, state, district and municipal public entities, as well as private organizations, international entities, autonomous social services and civil society.

The Navigate Simple program will have a permanent nature and will be planned and structured in successive four year cycles, starting from the date of the decree's publication. MPor will also establish the Interinstitutional Technical Committee for program implementation and coordination with other involved institutions.

At the program's launch, MPor's executive secretary, Mariana Pescatori, emphasized the importance of the committee including representatives from the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) and the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services.