On May 10, 1980 pursuant to Decree No. 405
Published in Official Gazette No. 110 of 17 May 1980

The National Reconstruction Board, created the National Port Company, ENAP, as a decentralized entity, with administrative, and legal identity, with its own assets or independence.  With competence to exercise the rights and obligations, attached to the Ministry of Transportation headquarters in the city of Managua, with offices and branches in the rest of the Republic, with indefinite duration,

By presidential decree No. 35-95 of 15 June 1995, it was establish the National Port Company, as a decentralized entity of public law.  Also as an autonomous entity of the State, called "EPN" with legal identity and ownership, with its own faculty to exercise full rights and obligations, located in the city of Managua and with the power to establish local branches and agencies in the Republic and abroad. rightful successor and  continuity of all goods assets, immovable property, rights, obligations and legal actions constituted by the National Port Company (ENAP), under the oversight and  stewardship of the Presidency of Nicaragua  and acts in accordance with State policy and laws of the Republic with regard to ports .

The E.P.N. is ruled by Decree 35-95 and its amendments (Presidential Decree 12-99), regulations, agreements of the Board and what is not provided for them by the other country's laws and rules of international conventions maritime port in the area in which Nicaragua is a party.

Range of operation of E.P.N

Operates at seaports, rivers and lakes in the Republic under his administration.

Object

Operation of seaports, river and lake property EPN also custody, handling, storage of cargo navigation, export, import and transit as well as any type of port services required for embarkation and disembarkation of people. 
 

Functions and powers.

Coordinate the ports under its administration, management, transfer and storage of cargo.

Exercise control over the port services and administrative procedures to facilitate port operations and shipping.

Operate in an effective, efficient, economical and secure delivery of services in ports.

After approval by the Board, the EPN could engage in business relation with corporations and business and also approve loans, these loans could be domestic or foreign, to promote the development of ports under its management.

Also it could engage contracts of any kind, for use of port services, piers, docks and other marine facilities, river and lake of a commercial nature, for up to twenty-five years, which may be extended. At the end of the contract, the equipment, ships and land, and any other investment or improvement, the ownership will remain property of the EPN

Create, provide or offer new services or discontinue existing ones, with the approval of the competent authority and the Port Board.

Providing land, transfer and storage of cargo and other goods that are handled through the port facilities.

Acquire assets of any amount and nature, and dispose of movable and immovable property and to conclude contracts and instruments necessary to achieve their goals. All in accordance with the laws.

Keep up to date in coordination with the competent authority for the demarcation of the maritime jurisdiction areas, river, and lake, within which area, the EPN will exercise its functions.

Apply to all offenders of the Port Rules and Regulations, the customary economic surcharges.

Establish its internal organization and administrative procedures and controls that are considered necessary to fulfill its goals and objectives for which it was created.

Run operations that were required in the exercise of their functions and powers in accordance with this Act and other laws of the Republic.

Ensuring the safety of facilities, goods and people within the ports.

Perform the necessary actions for the conservation and preservation of the environment within its jurisdiction.

Manage the assets in order to efficiently assign resources to the achievement of its objectives

Provide services to ships docks in the ports under its administration.

 

Develop rates for services provided to ships that dock in the ports under their administration and to handle the load that is in them, and  approval of the competent authority.

 

Develop regulations leading the provision of port services subject to approval by the competent authority.

 

Establish its internal organization and administrative procedures and controls that are considered necessary to fulfill its goals and objectives for which it was created.

 

All other functions and duties assigned by the laws and regulations.

EPN, in accordance with the technical criteria as a  economic knowledgeable authority, in the ports under their administration, will  hold all kinds of contracts within third parties under the terms and conditions deemed most suitable to make all or part or all any of the services specified in Article 6 above.

 

Administrative Bodies

1) Board
2) Executive Chairman
3) Management and General Management of Ports

 

Board:

 

The Board is composed of eight personalities and their alternates who are appointed by the President and appointed positions including the President, Vice President, Prosecutor, Secretary and members.

 

The Chairman of the Board shall be the Executive Chairman of the EPN, with powers of General Representative of Administration.

 

Interagency Coordination:

 

Directorate General of Customs control (D.G.I.) the recognition and ability in its case the load that is embarking and disembarking. Port managers may not deliver a consignment of cargo landed, nor allow the shipment of cargo of any kind without permission of the Administration of Customs is concerned.

 

Directorate General of Immigration
Naval Force
National Police
Marena
DGI
Ministry of Health and other relevant institutions

 

The E.P.N. coordinates its activities with the pertinent authorities so that they can carry out the functions that the laws grant.

 

Payment Services.

 

The services provided by the E.P.N. should be charged in accordance with its tariff regime.

 

The E.P.N. can not provide free services, except in special cases, if they are gifts, grants or disaster relief goods, which must be explicitly authorized by the President, through the Board

 

Fiscal year:

 

The annual functions of E.P.N. will run thought all the current fiscal period.

 

Annual Report to the President

 

Within three months subsequent the close of business every year, the EPN must provide a report on its activities to the President of the Republic. That report will be made known after the signing of the Board, and shall contain a report of the status of EPN and development of operations carried out during the period at hand.

 

Procurement of goods

 

The E.P.N. can only obtain impermanent and immovable property necessary for its operation.

Scope of rights of the port

 

Scope of the rights of the port area,  is demarcated and determined on the deeds (domain titles) ,  duly registered in the Public Property of the regional department , plus the land to run port expansions and any complementary expansion.