The Santos Port Authority (APS) has formalized authorization for Banco do Brasil to create an exclusive escrow account for the Santos-Guarujá tunnel. The measure complies with a ruling from the Federal Audit Court (TCU) and guarantees the immediate allocation of federal financial resources to the project. An escrow account, or guarantee account, is a neutral and temporary bank account used to hold funds until all contractual conditions are met.
"This initiative aims to ensure transparency and proper governance of resources allocated to the construction of the dry link. With this decision, public funding is properly protected for specific use in port infrastructure works," said APS President Anderson Pomini.
The process of resource capitalization follows traceability and asset segregation guidelines required by competent national control bodies. The financial governance structure was established to enable the federal contribution provided under the sponsored concession of the tunnel.
According to the official document, the funds will remain linked to APS, but with operational unavailability for any other purposes. Such technical rigor reinforces the authority's commitment to oversight and success of this landmark undertaking. "We are taking a decisive and secure step so that the Santos-Guarujá tunnel schedule is met with full public financial responsibility," Pomini said.
The APS president highlighted that the segregated account is a fundamental mechanism to provide legal certainty to all partners involved. "Immediate authorization reflects our agility in meeting TCU determinations and ensuring that the money is available," he concluded. For the manager, this stage eliminates uncertainties and consolidates the economic viability of the port project.
In addition to creating the account, APS requested that Banco do Brasil formally notify Artesp about the enforcement of the resource freeze. This notification is essential for the disbursement flow provided for in the public-private partnership tunnel concession contract. The Port Authority reaffirms that all compliance parameters are being followed rigorously since the initial agreement.
With the account active, the project moves forward to the next phases of technical execution with guaranteed financial support. The next step will be for the entities involved—the State of São Paulo and the Union—to establish a joint accountability instrument, as determined by the TCU.
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