03/16/2021 11:26 AM
Clarín.com
Economy
Updated 03/16/2021 11:26 AM
The Government foresees that this year there will be a "general" increase in rates, but maintains that the increases will be below the 29% inflation rate set in the 2021 Budget.
This was expressed this Tuesday by Federico Basualdo, undersecretary of Electric Power, who stated that the
"rate adjustment process ended with the triumph of the government"
of the Frente de Todos.
When asked if the increases are going to be below projected inflation, he answered yes and added that
"some numbers will be updated, but in no way will this impact purchasing power
.
"
Speaking to El Uncover radio, the official also said that on March 29 and 30 public hearings will be held on the transport of electricity, with Edenor and Edesur, where the "proposals from the citizens" will be heard.
And that the objective is to leave behind the Comprehensive Rate Review of the Let's Change management.
Days ago, the Minister of Economy, Martín Guzmán, also criticized the previous government for the increase in rates and assured that it deteriorated all the indices.
At the end of the month they will analyze the price of transporting electricity.
Photo: José Gutiérrez / Los Andres.
"The freeze that Alberto Fernández ordered has managed to neutralize
the regressive effect in the average rate of 4.12% on the salary,
" explained Basualdo.
And he remarked that this will continue to be the way.
Regarding the impact of the increases in the lower income sectors, the undersecretary of Energy indicated that a "tariff segmentation" is under study, and although he clarified that it is "complex", he affirmed that in principle it would not have a fiscal impact.
"If we are talking about whether there will be a segmented rate as of April, there will not be.
If there is an increase, it will be a general increase with the particularities of the case linked to the social rates
, which is a differentiated rate. for the lower income sectors, "he said.
On Monday, the Ministry of Energy presented, in the first public hearing on gas rates, its proposal to increase the ballots or ask for more subsidies.
The government needs an increase of between 26% and 35% in its bills to be able to pay for the gas it has promised to buy.
The other option is to resort to an extra subsidy of $ 56,083 million (which is not in the budget), according to Maggie Videla, undersecretary of Hydrocarbons and speaker on behalf of the Executive Power.
JPE
Look also
The Government raised its dilemma at the hearing over the price of gas: increase or more subsidies
Martín Guzmán said that the Government "chose to concentrate" high inflation in the first part of the year and that "it will be reduced month by month"