Port sector calls for greater government agility to unlock investments in Brazil

“The problem is excessive regulation or, at times, a lack of adequate technical expertise and regulation that has not been properly discussed or properly assessed”, says Jesualdo Silva, president of Associação Brasileira dos Terminais Portuários (ABTP) (Alexsander Ferraz/AT)

Jesualdo Silva, CEO of Associação Brasileira dos Terminais Portuários (ABTP), called for faster decision-making by public authorities to meet the sector’s investment needs. During a debate at the 2º Encontro Porto & Mar, promoted by Grupo Tribuna last week at Píer Mauá, in Rio de Janeiro, he criticized the way institutions operate and argued that those responsible for implementing changes should act without waiting for initiatives from other levels of government.

“We really need to think about state structures, but everyone who is in a position to do something has to do it. We cannot keep waiting for what is going to come from above.”

In his assessment, the lack of confidence in public agencies hampers the sector’s processes. Silva associated institutional problems with the difficulties involved in planning and making the investments required for port operations feasible. “Unfortunately, what we see in Brazil is an institutional failure of its main agencies.”

The ABTP representative pointed to the growth of foreign trade, particularly driven by agribusiness, as a factor increasing demand on Brazil’s ports. Against this backdrop, he argued that infrastructure must keep pace with the country’s constantly increasing cargo-handling needs.

“This puts increasing pressure on the port sector to have more assets, greater efficiency and more investment. And these investments need to come quickly. There is a major difficulty in investing.”

Silva also criticized excessive regulation and the restrictions imposed by rules that have not been sufficiently discussed or analyzed. In his view, the implementation of sector policies and confidence in these measures depend on how regulation is developed. “It is not about pretending to listen; it is about listening to what we say and discussing it.”

When discussing the responsibilities of public authorities, he recalled the duties of the Ministério de Portos e Aeroportos (MPor) in defining sector policy and those of the Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários (Antaq) in regulation and oversight. The executive cited limitations and called for greater planning.

For Silva, the revision of the Port Law, provided for in Bill (PL) 733/2025, which is currently stalled in the Câmara dos Deputados, is important to address existing limitations in leases by extending the terms established under current legislation.

“For 17 years, there had been no dredging and maintenance work at the Port of Itaguaí (RJ). The process would start, move forward and then stop. It took the Navy to say: ‘enough; if this is not resolved, the Port will be closed.’ That was when we managed to get it done”, says Flávio Vieira da Silva, CEO of PortosRio (Igu Gonzaga/Special to A Tribuna)

Lack of continuity harms the sector

The lack of continuity in the management of public ports makes it difficult to plan and implement projects, according to PortosRio CEO Flavio Vieira da Silva. During the debate at the 2º Encontro Porto & Mar, he reported interruptions in initiatives required for port logistics.

Silva advocated investments in infrastructure and support for lessees to attract cargo. In his assessment, the difficulty of ensuring continuity in initiatives undermines long-term planning. When addressing the obstacles faced by the sector, he also drew attention to the repeated discussion of issues without solutions. “We talk about the same problems at every event we attend.”

The CEO of PortosRio also linked the challenges facing port operations to interaction with other levels of government. In his view, the conditions required for ports to operate involve political decisions and relationships that go beyond the role of the Port Authority itself. “The challenge depends on politics and on our relationship with politicians, with the governor and with the mayor.”

When discussing management’s role in dealing with these difficulties, Silva mentioned the need to rely on the Ministério de Portos e Aeroportos (MPor) and the Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários (Antaq) to make initiatives feasible.

He also highlighted cargo security during transportation as a concern that extends beyond the port’s boundaries. “There is no point in us simply doing our part at home; this does not depend solely on the Port Authority”, he said when discussing the conditions required for the transportation of goods.