This Thursday (9), the federal government will close 9 contracts for the construction and operation of railways with the private sector. This occurs in parallel with the analysis, in the Chamber of Deputies, of the Legal Framework for Railroads, approved by the Senate in October.
Government estimates are that around R$ 52 billion will be invested in the construction of 3500 kilometers of railways in 10 units of the federation.
In an interview with CNN, the executive director of the Pro-Logistics Movement of Mato Grosso, Edeon Vaz Ferreira, said that investments in the Brazilian rail modal are delayed.
He argues that the railroad exploration model established in Brazil is that of a concession. “The government builds and grants it to a company that explores. The MP serves to authorize interested parties to build their own railway. It is a system similar to the United States. You acquire the land, implement the infrastructure and explore”, he said.
Currently, the Provisional Measure (MP) published by the Bolsonaro government in August, made to speed up contracts while the bill (PL) is discussed in the Legislative, is valid.
In the Chamber, lawmakers debate the Legal Framework for Railways approved by the Federal Senate. Authored by licensed senator José Serra (PSDB), the bill discusses new rules for the sharing of railways.
“It will boost the modal. We believe that in the next 10 years we will have another railway panorama in Brazil”, said the director of the representative entity, created in 2009 to “articulate the implementation and maintenance of the federal and state logistics infrastructure in Mato Grosso and access to ports”.
The text deals with new licensing instruments for railways in the private regime or with minimal State participation, and also contains technical definitions to harmonize the sector’s legislation.
The PL also establishes that the railroads operate under an authorization system, not a concession, which eliminates the need for a bidding process to start the works. With that, the interested company presents a proposal that, if approved, starts immediately in the railways.
Edeon Vaz Ferreira stated that the contracts will allow sectors – such as agribusiness and minerals – to integrate their factories into a railway line, which will take the products to the ports.
“The 35 contracts already requested for authorization, if implemented, will bring an investment of R$110 billion in the economy. This will not be quick. Need the environmental licensing process, executive projects. In the best case, the work starts in two years, and the reflexes will take place in the next ten years”, he declared.
* With information from Caroline Rosito and Giovanna Galvani and published by Leonardo Lopes, from CNN
Reference: CNN Brasil
