Highway auction attracts only one interested group, says source

The government attracted only one interested group for the concession auction of sections of BRs 116 and 493 between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. The delivery of proposals was made this Monday morning (16) at B3, in São Paulo, and the auction is scheduled for next Friday (20).

According to a source with knowledge of the process, the group specializing in road concessions EcoRodovias is responsible for the proposal. The information was published on the website of the newspaper Valor Econômico and confirmed by Sheet.

The concession for the highways between Rio and Governador Valadares (MG) requires investments estimated at R$11.3 billion, in addition to operating costs of R$9.8 billion over time. The contract term is 30 years.

The public notice provides that the auction will be in the hybrid model, combining the criteria of lowest tariff and highest grant. Since there is only one group, it will win even if it does not offer any discount on the prices to be paid by drivers and offers low payment to the Federal Government – ​​as long as all the documentation delivered meets the requirements.

Investors have shown more caution in infrastructure auctions. Last month, the government of São Paulo suspended the concession process for the northern section of the Rodoanel due to the impact of macroeconomic uncertainties in attracting interested parties.

“The scenario of rising inflation, high interest rates and scarcity of inputs imposes the temporary postponement of the North Rodoanel auction so that the concession model can be adapted to the current national situation”, the São Paulo government said in a statement on the state agency’s website. of transport, Artesp.

The government specifically mentioned high inflation in the construction sector and the rise in the Selic, the basic interest rate, as some of “the obstacles to long-term credit for investors — which has become more expensive and unattractive.”