Yesterday, the Government decided to implement measures to facilitate imports of basic basket products and also medicines.
Something that produced
a strong adverse reaction among the different productive sectors: from large industries to the smallest ones.
In principle, representatives of the Industrial Union (UIA) expressed
their concern about what they consider unequal treatment for the industry.
"While national producers must pay in four monthly installments and with PAIS tax for the inputs necessary for manufacturing, importers of finished goods will be exempt from taxes and will have full access to the necessary foreign currency in a single 30-day payment," they complained.
"The announcement made today seriously affects the competitiveness of companies that operate, produce and employ in the country," concluded the UIA, which
also warned about the drop in the level of activity.
Meanwhile, when asked about the impact of opening imports, CILFA, the chamber that brings together national laboratories, commented that “it is premature to draw conclusions.
We will see with the regulations in hand
,” commented a source from that entity.
Regarding the change in tax rules, the impact among local manufacturers will basically be financial.
"But the economic effect of the tax is not eliminated, the advance is excepted," the source clarified.
Regarding the impact of the official measure, the president of Industriales Pymes Argentinos (IPA), Daniel Rosato, warned that the decision of the national government to release and lower taxes on imports of finished products of the basic basket
“will cause the bankruptcy of thousands of industrial SMEs and a massive destruction of jobs,
which will generate a spiral of the economic and social crisis of Argentines.”
In addition, he regretted that the national authorities have found those responsible for the price mark-ups in Argentine SMEs, which caused the inflationary increase, noting that "the increase in production costs, which generated the release, was not taken into account." of prices, after the December devaluation, nor the unprecedented profitability of the large supermarket chains, who managed to almost double the prices sent from the factories," said the SME leader.
The head of the IPA highlighted that “the Government's decision to import finished products, also removing taxes,
goes against what is happening in Argentina, where taxes have been increased for SMEs to produce.
What the national administration should have done is remove taxes and commit factories, but especially large businesses, to lower prices.
By destroying local supply, solutions are not found, but more problems,” he said.