Government awaits TCU approval to renegotiate concessions – 06/20/2023 – Market

Minister Rui Costa (Casa Civil) said this Tuesday (20) that he is waiting for a decision by the TCU (Union Court of Auditors) this week to renegotiate and rehabilitate most of the concession contracts that ran the risk of being cancelled.

The government consulted the TCU on the possibility of converting rebidding requests into new concession contracts. The judgment on the subject is scheduled for this Wednesday (21).

“If judged positively, we will rehabilitate the vast majority, if not almost all of these contracts, which is very good for society, for the economy, because the works will begin execution, because these investments are happening again in ports, airports, roads, a very expressive volume of investments that will be resumed from the renegotiation of these contracts”, said Costa.

According to the column Panel SA, given the different interpretations of the law, the tendency is for the court to approve the renegotiation of contracts with restrictions, which are still being defined.

This Tuesday, the Civil House minister explained that the consultation was made to the TCU after companies that asked to give up and return the concessions to the government changed their minds and decided to keep the agreement.

“We made a consultation because, until last year, there was pessimism in the economy, a pessimism of those who won concession auctions in the country and there was a big request to give up these contracts, these concessions. Those who won understood that it was not viable. to play and formalized the withdrawal of these contracts”, said the minister.

“With the inauguration of President Lula, there was a change of optimism, there was a change in the economic scenario, and therefore, almost all of these concessionaires asked the government that they wanted to give up the withdrawal and, therefore, we consulted the TCU on what conditions and how it would be possible to accept it, because the law does not deal with it, neither yes nor no. And we decided to make a formal consultation with the TCU”, he said.

The decision of the court of accounts also includes Galeão. “The case that has the most to do with the value of the grant is Galeão, a mega investment was projected that did not show itself over real time. A volume of investment and demand as if Galeão were to become the busiest airport in the world. planet, with multiple leads and investments. This needs to be reassessed.”

“Most of the contracts that are in progress are not grant values ​​that are pending, most of the contracts that are in progress have to do with the economic-financial balance of these contracts, which will be sought and submitted to the TCU”, added Costa.

Changi, the Singaporean company that owns the Galeão concession, even indicated in 2022 that it would withdraw from the contract, but later expressed its intention to remain with the concession for the international airport, in Rio de Janeiro.

The government has been trying to take measures to combat the emptying of Galeão and announced that, starting in October, Santos Dumont airport, in the center of the city, will be restricted to flights to Congonhas, in São Paulo, and Brasília.

On another front, as Panel SA showed, the government also aims to reestablish the concession contract with Viracopos airport, in Campinas (SP).

According to Costa, each contract will need a specific renegotiation that will need ratification by the court of accounts

“Each contract will need a type of renegotiation, and evidently, we will follow the parameter that will be defined by the TCU tomorrow, but each case will need later approval by the TCU.”