In debate, Saullo Vianna points out solutions for navigation and prevention of severe droughts in AM

Preventive measures

Among the proposals presented by experts at the event are more accessible financing, adequate infrastructure for the sector and the creation of a waterway police

Manaus (AM) – Federal deputy Saullo Vianna (União-AM), vice-president of the Mixed Parliamentary Front for the Development of Inland Navigation, promoted, this Wednesday (6), in the Chamber of Deputies, a broad debate with experts on the context of severe droughts and a strong presence of organized crime in the Amazon.

“On this first opportunity in which Parliament debates the challenges for navigation on rivers, I make my mandate and our Parliamentary Front available for this priority agenda of ours, which will be the object of our action in 2024, both in the National Congress and in our work. with governments”,

summed up Viana, remembering that it is urgent for the federal government to have permanent dredging actions, signage of waterways and safety on rivers.

Among the suggestions presented during the Discussion Panel, which was “Aquatic Infrastructure and Credit for the Navigation sector”, are the creation of structured waterways, more access to resources from the Merchant Marine Fund for small shipowners and passenger vessels; improvement of labor training programs and the creation of the waterway police which, like the Federal Highway Police, would work together with the other police forces.

Drought in the Amazon causes losses

Present at the debate, the president of the Centro das Indústrias do Amazonas (Cieam), Lúcio Flávio Morais, pointed out that the severe drought in the Amazon rivers brought serious damage to productive activities in the region.

“The industry has always excelled, but now we had to overcome difficulties in accessing products for two months, with an estimated extra cost of R$1 billion in logistics,”

revealed.

The president of ABANI – Brazilian Association for the Development of Inland Navigation, Dodó Carvalho, says that the serious drought in the Amazon rivers could be an opportunity for the sector to achieve achievements that have been expected for years.

“I see this crisis as an opportunity for us to achieve improvements for the navigation sector in the Amazon, especially in Amazonas, and I am pleased to see for the first time the Brazilian parliament discussing the topic, thanks to the initiative of deputy Saullo Vianna”,

said Carvallho.

Dredging Program

The director of Waterway Infrastructure at DNIT – National Department of Infrastructure and Transport, Erick Moura, announced that a structured program to improve waterways is already being planned by the agency.

“This drought has revealed to us that a permanent program of maintenance of ports and dredging of rivers is latent”,

he stated, adding that, today, taking a dredger to the Amazon can take 40 to 60 days.

Representative of the Ministry of Ports and Airports, Dino Batista drew attention to a problem that makes financing the sector difficult. “We have to call the Federal Revenue Service to talk about the retention of private resources that could be financing inland navigation”, he revealed.

Also participating in the debate were the director of the National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq), Wilson Lima Filho, Luis Fernando Resano, president of the Brazilian Cabotage Association (Abac), the Director of the Technical Division of Inland Navigation and Ports of the São Paulo Engineering Institute Paulo, José Wagner Ferreira, the representative of the Amazonas Navigators Association, Railgila Torres Lacet, among others.

*With information from the Advisory

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