First new Brazilian port concessions ready in March

The government originally forecast publishing the tenders at the end of last year; however, the process has been awaiting the acceptance by the Accounts Tribunal (TCU) to its replies to questions it submitted to the ministry in respect of the process as a whole.

The minister also reaffirmed the wish of the government to also put out to tender a second group of concessions in the second half of 2014. This will include concessions at the ports of Paranaguá, São Sebastião, Salvador and Aratu.

This is in contrast to an earlier timetable, which suggested publication of the tenders would be by the end of February and the whole process under way by early April.

At the end of January, the Ports Secretariat (SEP) had replied to 15 of the 19 questions posed by the TCU and filed an appeal in respect of the other four. The ministry said that none of the questions was particularly complex.