The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), together with the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications (MCTIC), made an important step in the modernization of the Brazilian electricity and mining sector. Ministers Bento Albuquerque and Marcos Pontes (photo), respectively, signed an Interministerial Ordinance creating a Working Group that will develop studies and present proposals for a governance model focused on research, development and innovation activities in these areas.

For Minister Bento Albuquerque, the moment is to consolidate a challenge, which began in April this year. In his speech at the Ordinance signing ceremony, he spoke about the importance of technology and innovation for the sectors that have the responsibility to conduct public policy, and how critical they are to implementing these policies. “The country has one of the most varied sets of mineral commodities in the world and we can't apply it. We are commodity exporters and cannot add value. And that will only be done by science and technology, ”said the Minister.

"In our studies of modernization of the electricity sector," added Bento Albuquerque, "we know that within the biofuels issue, the exploration of our hydrocarbon resources, how important it all is. And then we have some impressive figures: just In the electricity sector, the value is one billion reais per year of investments, which are sometimes dispersed or not spent.At the National Petroleum Agency (ANP), the amount is 16 billion reais, and only 6 billion were invested. And what do you do with the other ten? And we complain that we have no resources ”. “There is no lack of resources,” he said. Lack is governance, which is what we are practicing here, this integration, this synergy that exists between the ministries that carry out such an act, which is not just a signature of a document of good intentions. ” "I have no doubt - he said - that very soon we will be presenting the results that society expects and deserves."

Bento Albuquerque said he hoped that the Working Group set up today will bring a diagnosis of modernization capable of materializing a sector that can bring electricity to consumers in a competitive manner, ensuring the sustainability of expansion, promoting market opening and efficiency. course and risk allocation.

The Interministerial Working Group, called CTIME, will be effective for 45 days. During this period, it should promote discussions in order to identify the governance models that can be a reference for its work; prepare a Work Plan to define this governance model for both sectors and, finally, propose to Ministers Bento Albuquerque and Marcos Pontes, the necessary legal and administrative instruments to achieve their objectives.

Bento Albuquerque has always praised the work carried out by the Electric Sector Modernization Working Group, created last April and which has worked over 150 professionals involving the five institutions in the sector: MME, National Electric Energy Agency - Aneel, Chamber of Commerce Energy Company - CCEE, Energy Research Company - EPE, and National Electric System Operator - ONS.

The report prepared by this Working Group, with regard to the research, development and innovation segments, points to the need to establish a strategic reflection on the areas or themes that can be prioritized, and also where resources must be applied.

According to the minister, although Brazil invests significant resources in research and development, there is not yet a comprehensive and structured database that consolidates information on the destination of public or publicly oriented investments in the area of energy. According to Bento Albuquerque, such circumstance makes it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of investments, to compare with other countries and to devise action strategies to improve results.