The Presidency Secretariat for Ports (SEP/PR) was instituted by Provisional Measure No. 369, of May 7, 2007, and was converted into Law No. 11,518, 2007. SEP/PR has its structure and special roles, approved by Decree 8,088 in September 2013.

SEP/PR is the authority that formulates the policies and guidelines for development and stimulation of the port sector and maritime port facilities as well as waterway and lake port facilities. It mainly promotes the execution and evaluation of measures, programs and projects of infrastructure and superstructure development support as well as maritime, waterway and lake port facilities.

Furthermore, it is also SEP/PR’s responsibility to elaborate general concessioning plans; to approve the development and zoning of the maritime, waterway and lake ports; to establish guidelines to represent the country in International Organizations and Conventions, as well as adjust goal commitments and business performance targets and to promote the modernization, efficiency, competitiveness and quality of the port activities.

Recently, to meet the necessities motivated by the growth of the Brazilian economy, Law No. 12,815, of June 5, 2013 was enacted. This law establishes measures to stimulate the modernization of port infrastructure and administration, to increase private investments in the sector, to reduce the costs and to improve port efficiency, besides re-taking government planning port capacity, with the institutional rearrangement of the sector and logistic integration of all transport modes.

The SEP/PR is structured as follows: