Govt. earmarks US$36mn for north, NE ports

Ports in Brazil's north and northeast regions will receive 100mn reais (US$36mn) through March to resolve administrative structural problems, according to the transport ministry's waterway transport programs director Paulo de Tarso Carneiro. Carneiro made the announcement during a public hearing this week before the lower house's Amazonia, national integration and regional committee to discuss Pará state's ports situation. Ministry technicians will visit the states of Pará, Amazonas, Rondônia, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Pernambuco and Alagoas in coming months to assess immediate problems and define how much will be destined for each. The inspections are part of the government's "Agenda Portos" program, under which 11 ports in the south, southeast and northeast regions were inspected. The inspections found problems associated with management, lack of public servants and technology shortages, which resulted in the allocation of 57mn reais in immediate funds. For his part, legislator Raimundo Santos criticized the ministry's 100mn reais figure, arguing that Pará alone needs 140mn reais. Meanwhile, Ademir Andrade, president of Pará's port company "Companhia Docas do Pará," said the lack of investment has led to ports not being used to their full capacity, such as Vila do Conde. Andrade added the government must also prioritize waterways, citing examples of projects that have yet to materialize, such as the 809mn reais Araguaia-Tocantins and 450mn reais Teles Pires-Tapajós waterways.