AM businesspeople debate solutions to challenges during periods of flood and drought

Planning

The meeting was held this Tuesday (6), at the headquarters of Fecomércio AM

Manaus (AM) – Fecomércio AM held, this Tuesday (6), the 2nd Board Meeting with businesspeople and presidents of trade unions in the Commerce of Goods, Services and Tourism of Amazonas, at the entity’s headquarters. On the occasion, actions to minimize the impacts of drought were discussed, which this year could surpass the record low of 2023.

The drought forecast was presented by the president of the Union of River Navigation Companies of Amazonas (Sindarma) and vice-president of the National Federation of Waterway Navigation Companies, Galdino Alencar Júnior.

“The numbers indicate, so far, that we will have a greater drought than last year. I have a ruler that is in Porto Velho, in the Madeira River channel, and it already indicates, for example, on January 1st, 2023, last year, the river level there was 8.63m. January 1, 2024, 7.80m. We are almost 1 meter lower than last year”,

explained.

The president of Fecomércio AM, Aderson Frota, highlighted that the severe drought last year hit the capital and all municipalities in Amazonas and listed some of the effects generated by the dry period on the supply of products for the population.

“Sea freight increased in all its operations almost 3 times in terms of value. There was an increase in the cost of loading and unloading operations, between the intermediate ports (Pecém, in Ceará, and Vila do Conde, in Pará) and the ports of Manaus, where it was possible to anchor the ships destined for us. The goods destined for Manaus were distributed in small quantities, on ferries, which sailed to Manaus and this splitting of goods resulted in an increase in the time taken for goods to arrive at our ports, which was 30/35 days, jumping to 120 to 150 days. The cost grew 5 times”,

highlighted the president.

The decapitalization of companies in times of crisis was also presented as a factor of concern for the drought. “Commercial companies continue to have the obligation to make the advance payment of ICMS within a maximum of 45 days of issuing the supplier’s invoice, with aggregate additions (MVAs), without receiving or even selling the goods”, he concluded.

Summer Plan

Sindarma pointed out as a proposal the elaboration of the Summer Plan to anticipate the problems caused by the drought. “I spoke to the director of Waterway Infrastructure at the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT) in Brasília, Erick Moura, and he warned us about the urgency in sending official letters, as the bidding process takes six months and if it takes time to take action , summer will come, there will be no tender approved, and we will have a serious drought problem again. Drought is not good for anyone, it is not good for transporters either”, he emphasized.

According to Galdino Alencar Júnior, the competent state bodies could now signal the Federal Government for actions such as river bathymetry and identify places where there will be problems so that dredging can be carried out as soon as possible.

*With information from consultancy

Read more:

Fecomércio AM speaks out about the supply of goods in the State

Fecomércio-AM discusses the impacts of the drought on the supply of products in Amazonas

Fecomércio AM publishes the purchase intention survey for Children’s Day 2022