Institutions and transactions costs in Bahia sea port system: the TECON Salvador case. / Instituições e custos de transação no sistema portuário baiano: o caso TECON Salvador.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

The international trade of the state of Bahia grew significantly since the year 2000 and caused an increasing demand for sea port services. The port of Salvador is responsible for a great portion of the cargo transportation generated by the state economical development and related to international trade. Since the year 2000, the TECONSV TECON Salvador S/A, the sole container terminal within the state of Bahia, has been operated by a private company and basically moves cargo exported or imported by the state of Bahia and does not attract cargo from neighboring states. Additionally, some of cargo has been either exported or imported through other container terminals not located in the state, mainly through the ports of Santos, Vitória, Sepetiba, São Francisco do Sul, Suape and Pecem. This dissertation is a qualitative case study intended to investigate and find the reasons for the cargo loss to other states and the lack of capacity to attract cargo from abroad. To answer this central question the author used the theoretical apparatus provided by the New Economy of Institutions in order to identify costs of transaction which are typically associated to high specificity assets present in this type of business. Interviews with the main economical agents involved in the container cargo segment supplied needed information to identify the main costs of transaction. A review of container terminal theory was also performed and used to answer the central question of the study. To evaluate the terminal operation, an analysis of the port performance indicators published by the brazilian regulatory agency (ANTAQ) was used in conjunction with other indicators which are considered critical for this type of operation. The results were compared to the main competing ports data published by ANTAQ. The study showed that the container cargo business has costs of transaction which can be grouped in five categories: contractual inadequacies, slow decision processes, inefficient communication, excessive bureaucracy and regulatory failures. The costs are the reflex of the governance structure adopted in the administration and regulation of ports in Brazil since the law 8630/93 was approved. This structure is affected by political interference in the regulatory and decision processes. However, in spite of all the problems mentioned in this study, the evaluation of the terminal performance showed that it has prices and waiting times below the average of the other terminals even though it works with smaller ships, restrictions of space and road accesses. At the end, the study showed that the loss of cargo can not be justified by the performance indicators, even though the terminal is working at the limit of its capacity and, therefore, blocked from attracting cargo from other neighboring states. Cargo loss is not only caused by the restrictions presented on the most important physical elements of the terminal or due to its management. It is also explained by reasons related to hinterland intersection, existence and frequency of sea routes, commercial agreements, taxes and data recording methodologies used by the ministry of international trade, which add to the identified costs of transaction.

ASSUNTO(S)

container transport custos de transação e desempenho portuário comércio exterior baiano terminal de contêineres de salvador teconsv transporte conteinerizado administracao de setores especificos bahia international trade salvador container terminal teconsv transaction costs port performance

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