Brazilian minister Pedro Brito, of the Special Secretariat for Ports, stated that the ports sector is a priority, and will receive investment of 3.2 billion Brazilian reais (US$ 1.8 billion) from the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) of the federal government over the next few years.
“The ports are necessary in order to maintain the Brazilian competitiveness,” said Brito, after inaugurating Terminal 4 (T4) at the Port of Santos, in the state of São Paulo. According to him, the port’s container handling capacity should triple by 2024.
“We have devised a special plan for the Port of Santos for the next 15 years,” said Brito. With regard to containers, for instance, the capacity should increase from 3 million to 9 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit), he informed.
According to the minister, the capacity of ports across the country should be expanded and improved. “Brazil needs good ports both to import and export its products. Ports are a priority, because they have a direct impact on economic performance,” he stated.
Brito underscored that the investment will go to infrastructure only. “Matters of security and monitoring, for example, are the responsibility of the Federal Police,” said he, referring to the containers of garbage from the United Kingdom that were seized last year at Brazilian ports.
