Bill aims to reduce economic impacts on cities neighboring ports

The author of the bill, Senator Flávio Arns (Podemos-PR), explains that the proposal allows states that manage ports to create a compensation fund with the revenue from delegated ports, intended to compensate municipalities neighboring the municipality with a port as its headquarters.

“Allowing the creation of these funds will give states better conditions to ensure a new path of sustainable development in port activity, providing virtuous sustainable economic growth, based not only on the generation of jobs and increased income for people, but also on reducing the negative impacts caused to society, notably in cities near ports”, explains the parliamentarian.

The senator comments that this rule is being presented as an option, and not as an obligation, as they recognize that each port in the country has its own peculiarities and specificities.

According to the project, the Port of Paranaguá, in Paraná, is the largest bulk port in Latin America. In 2018, it handled 53 million tons of cargo. Although it is important for the economy, its activities have a negative impact on coastal cities in Paraná, such as Paranaguá, Antonina, Guaraqueçaba, Guaratuba, Matinhos, Morretes and Pontal do Paraná.

Public Law lawyer Eduardo Tesserolli explains that neighboring cities face problems such as increased traffic and wear and tear on infrastructure, in addition to possible unemployment if port activities decrease. For the expert, this results in more municipal expenses for maintenance and social support.

On the other hand, Tesserolli asserts that the PL allows municipalities with ports and their neighbors to receive a percentage of the revenue from port concessionaires, which can finance works, services and improve the quality of life, in addition to boosting the local economy. Municipalities without ports can also benefit, offering subsidies or paying off tax debts, such as IPTU and ISS, thus improving the region’s economic and social situation.

“The negative impact in the end (for municipalities with a port at their headquarters) ends up being the possibility of this charge being eventually included as a cost of service provision, and this could make some aspects of the activity more expensive. It may even be that this will eventually intervene in some way, as a reflection on the chartering of ships and the transport of cargo, which to some extent will have a direct impact on the port and, therefore, in a certain way, a loss for the municipality that is the seat of the port”, adds the lawyer.

Progress of the project

The project modifies Law 9,277 of 1996, which currently allows the application of resources received from the concession of ports to the private sector only on highways that provide access to the port and in areas that house port facilities.

The proposal was approved by the Economic Affairs Committee (CAE) last Tuesday (25). If there is no appeal for a vote in the Plenary, the text will go to the Chamber of Deputies.