Model of the Government foresees private sector with 51% of capital in airports
Valor Econômico
President Rousseff Rousseff announced yesterday during the first meeting with Governors and mayors of the 12 host cities of the 2014 FIFA Soccer World Cup that the model of concession for the airports of Guarulhos (SP), Viracopos (SP) and Brasília (DF), will be made through the creation of a Special Purpose Company (SPE). In it, the private initiative will enter with 51% of the capital and the Infraero (Brazilian Company of Airport Infrastructure) with the other 49% of the investments and management of those airports. The bidding rules shall be published until December. The studies for the concession of Confins (MG) and Galeão (RJ) have not been completed.
The meeting also addressed as priorities the projects of the ports, of urban mobility, the construction of the stadiums and the approval of the provisory measure that makes the rules of the bidding of the works of the Cup more flexible. The regional governments also elected as essential a new regulatory system for the expropriation of urban land, since the legislation in force dates back to the 40s of the last century. According to Rousseff, the concession of the airports will turn the Infraero more attractive, and that may help it in a future IPO. The President believes Viracopos may have critical role for the aviation in São Paulo, since it will feature the three runways the State needs at the moment.
After the alerts on the delays in the schedules of the main works for the Cup, President Rousseff decided to meet with the Governors, Mayors and Ministers to avoid the speculations that Brazil will not have capacity to hold the event. It was agreed a similar meeting will be held every three months to follow up the projects. The Minister of Sports, Orlando Silva, guaranteed there is no possibility of reduction in the number of cities hosting the Cup games. "The definition of the cities was made by the FIFA. What I see is the commitment of all so we can sponsor a great world championship", said the Minister.
Regarding the stadiums, the Governor of Pernambuco, Eduardo Campos (PSB), said that 11 of the 12 arenas that will be used in the 2014 FIFA Soccer World Cup are already under construction. The estimate of the Government is that eight of them are ready by December 2012, two in 2013 - before the FIFA Confederations Cup, scheduled for June of that year - and the two other will be ready before the holding of the Cup. The stadiums that are more behind schedule are those located in Natal and São Paulo.
The Federal Government also demanded from the Governors and Mayors the progress of the works of urban mobility that will guarantee the flow of tourists and fans during days of the games. The Federal Government has set aside nearly R$ 7 billion (US$ 4.38 billion) for the works of urban mobility. According to Governor Eduardo Campos, the works whose bidding rules are submitted by December will be "demoted" from the category of Urban Mobility Cup PAC (Growth Acceleration Program) to Urban Mobility PAC, and they will lose preference in the agility of investments and adoption of new bidding standards.
The National Front of Mayors (FNP) that gathers the mayors of the capitals, will push the Congress to approve two measures considered essential for the 2014 FIFA Soccer World Cup: the relaxation in the bidding rules for the works and the establishment of a new regulatory system of urban land expropriation. According to Campos, the current law was created in 1940 and has to be urgently changed to guarantee the works of urban mobility.