Railway front wants exclusive credit line at BNDES

A group of 20 senators and 12 representatives is seeking special funding to unlock projects stalled since 2021.

Even before its official launch, the Joint Parliamentary Front for Authorized Railways (Frenfer) is already working to convince the BNDES (National Development Bank) to create a specific credit line for the sector, with subsidized interest rates and special conditions. The idea is to offer financing to companies that have acquired private railway authorizations but currently lack suitable financing instruments on the market.

The movement is led by Senator Zequinha Marinho (pictured), of the Podemos party of Pará, president of Frenfer, who makes a point of emphasizing: "We don't want public money. We want credit lines with lower interest rates and easier access to incentivized debentures." The committee is composed of 20 senators and 12 federal deputies. Companies such as Petrocity Ferrovias, Multimodal Caravelas, Eldorado, Grão-Pará, and Macro Desenvolvimento are already awaiting the creation of this line to accelerate their projects. According to industry insiders, there are even international investors with guaranteed funding for projects, such as the train between Brasília and Luziânia, which remain stalled due to a lack of environmental licensing.

Currently, 41 license applications are stuck at Ibama (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources), which, according to business owners, lacks the staff to review them. "The government is being lax. The money is there, but without the license, nothing moves forward," Marinho criticizes. Created after the approval of the Railways Law (2021), which authorized 45 private projects, the initiative aims to pressure executive branches and the National Transport Agency (ANTT) to reduce bureaucracy and implement a model that, until now, only exists in law.

"Infrastructure sharing needs to become a reality. We will demand reports, request formal information, and, if necessary, propose new rules to guarantee access and competition," Marinho told the column. For the private sector, the front serves a political advocacy function. José Roberto Barbosa, president of the Brazilian Association of Authorized Railways (Abrafa), summarizes:

"The authorized railways are not getting any easier. The expectation is that the front will be

able to streamline deadlines and licensing procedures."

https://platobr.com.br/frente-das-ferrovias-quer-linha-de-credito-exclusiva-no-bndes