The Minister of Infrastructure, Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas, affirmed today (2) that the maintenance of the supply logistics in the country was the great victory of the folder, in the first semester, amid the pandemic of the new coronavirus (covid-19). According to the minister, who classified the health crisis as “unprecedented”, the country is going through the pandemic without the shortage of supermarkets, lack of fuel or hospital supplies.
“We are going through the pandemic without any supply problem, with shelves full in supermarkets. There was no shortage of fuel, cooking gas or medical supplies and that was a silent victory. I believe that this was the biggest victory in this first semester, to guarantee supply in a pandemic situation ”, said the minister during a videoconference to present the balance of the portfolio’s activities in the first six months of this year.
According to the minister, the maintenance of supply was achieved through partnerships that enabled truck drivers to continue their work, in favorable sanitary conditions, and the use of other modes, such as rail and port, used to drain the grain harvest.
“A large support structure for truck drivers was set up, with medical screening, food and hygiene kits,” said the minister. “We were also able to flow a crop of 252 million tons and also guarantee the operation of the mineral sector. The result can be seen in the growth of the rail and port movement ”, he added.
Tarcísio said that, even with the pandemic, the portfolio managed to maintain planning for the period established at the end of last year, with the completion of works and partial deliveries in the first six months of this year. The minister said that there were 36 openings between January and June, 23 between March and June, the period most affected by the health crisis.
According to the ministry, in the first half of 2020, R $ 3.5 billion was invested in works. The National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT) completed 129 kilometers (km) of duplicated highways, paved 88.5 km and made new restorations in 110.6 km.
The ministry also highlighted the delivery of the new boarding room at Navegantes Airport (SC); the renovation and expansion of the passenger terminal at the International Airport of Foz do Iguaçu (PR) and reforms in the small ports in Parintins (AM), Coari (AM) and Turiaçu (MA).
During the videoconference, the minister also mentioned the signing of the renewal of the railroad concession contract for Malha Paulista. The original contract, which was due to expire in 2028, was renewed for another 30 years. The forecast is for investments of R $ 6 billion to be made in expanding transport capacity.
According to the minister, the expectation is to maintain a good part of the schedule until the end of the year, especially with regard to concessions for airports, ports, railways and highways.
Tarcísio cited sending the auction notice to the Federal Audit Court (TCU) and the draft contract for the 6th round of airport concessions. 22 airports in the South, North and Center-West regions are part of the concession round, divided into three blocks.
“By the end of July and mid-August, we should also send the edicts of BR-381 and BR-262 in Minas and Espírito Santo to TCU; Nova Dutra [BR-116] that we are adding to the Rio-Santos [highway] [BR-101] and Ferrogrão [railway]. Then we will have 42 projects under analysis, which is very close to the target we had set for auction for this year, with R $ 75 billion in investments to be contracted ”, he said.
Source: Portos do Paraná
