* Pedro Brito

In Brazil today we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Opening of Ports to friendly nations with a series of events organized by the presidency, the Special Office for Ports, and various public and private institutions. The purpose is to highlight the decision made by Dom João VI, on January 28th, 1808 in Salvador, Bahia, which was to open Brazilian ports to friendly nations. In the context of our written history, this is one of the most symbolic dates in our calendar of commemorations, not only for its historical relevance, but because it defines one of the most important moments for Brazil’s economy, bringing to a close a period of three centuries of dependence on Portugal, one of the bases of the so-called Colonial Period.

Up to then we had just one obligation: export our wealth to Portugal, in the most perfect monopoly model. It was from this decision onwards that Brazil started to maintain international relations, allowing the importation of merchandise from different origins, and the exportation of our products to the world. We would now have our products consumed in markets hitherto unimagined and be part of a community whose economic base was supported by export and import operations. Thus, 200 years ago Brazil became part of the globalisation process, competing actively with economically stronger countries. However, we are still far from the levels attained by countries of what is known as the first world, by virtue of inefficient policies adopted in the recent past, when ports were not given their due importance.

As a result, on the initiative of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Special Office for Ports (SEP) was created last May, with the aim of placing Brazilian ports on the same level as the most modern and efficient ports in the world. Furthermore, this was done as a way of making up for lost time by transforming the Office into an instrument capable of reinvigorating the current port situation in Brazil. Initially, we at SEP were a technical team, able to conduct port business professionally and competently in the main ports. Soon afterwards came R$ 2.7 billion from the Program for Accelerated Growth (PAC) – destined for infrastructure projects of which R$ 1.4 billion was for dredging in the main ports, which will be done by means of international tenders.

Our efforts are centred on the preparation and modernisation of Brazilian ports so that in the near future we will be able to compete with the most advanced ports in terms of technology and efficiency. We also intend to contract a consultancy to help our technicians to design a management plan for the next 50 years. After all, coincidentally, at the same time as we are celebrating the 200 years since the Opening of the Ports to friendly nations, we are embarking on a new port era in Brazil, a second Opening of Ports!

* Minister-in-chief, Special Presidential Office for Ports