New offensive against companies: Santiago Cafiero ordered that the AFIP go out to control Maximum Prices

04/14/2021 1:55 PM

• Clarín.com

• Economy

Updated 04/14/2021 1:55 PM

The offensive against companies due to price controls, which was limited to the Ministry of Internal Trade, has now been extended to the Chief of Cabinet and the AFIP.

Although it is not a novelty, because on previous occasions Commerce had already gone out to monitor prices with AFIP inspectors and even social movements also put on their vests to go to supermarkets to check the Care Prices, Santiago Cafiero took care of informing that, within the framework of the economic Cabinet meeting, ordered

inspectors from the collecting body to control maximum prices.

The Economic Cabinet is meeting to evaluate measures to help lower inflation, which adds up to 12% in the first quarter.

And this would be one of them.

In addition, the economic referents of the Government analyze the

application of the Supply Law and an increase in sanctions

, as reported.

All measures go the same direction:

skip dialogue and target coercion and fines

to prevent companies from touching prices.

Cafiero headed the meeting of the economic cabinet in the Hall of Scientists of Casa Rosada.

The Deputy Chief of Cabinet, Cecilia Todesca;

the Ministers of Productive Development, Matías Kulfas;

and Labor, Claudio Moroni, among other officials.

Pressure on companies

The government resorts to

tools of dubious success that it has used in the past

.

Although last February, when Commerce announced that it had added AFIP inspectors, it clarified that they were only going to check that prices are correct, on this occasion,

Cafiero did not mention whether they would also carry out tax-related inspections

.

In recent weeks the Government strengthened the control scheme on the private sector to try to curb inflation.

Paula Español, Secretary of Internal Trade, had been in charge of announcing the measures, which were happening day by day.

First, it launched the Information System for the Implementation of Economic Reactivation Policies (SIPRE), which obliges large mass consumer companies to detail prices, quantities sold and stock of all items.

Two weeks ago, Comercio Interior created the Label and Label Inspection System (SIFIRE), which promotes changes in the labeling of products.

And last Thursday he invited three large companies to make changes to their packaging.

Last Friday, he encouraged large companies in the commercial and industrial sectors to manufacture, distribute and market

to the maximum of their installed capacity,

while the health emergency lasts.

If companies do not comply, they could receive sanctions provided for in the Supply Law.

The intimation reached the 1,000 firms with the highest turnover.

The list includes the main manufacturers of consumer products, including Mastellone, Molinos, Fargo, Unilever, P&G and Paladini.

On the other hand, the Government extended until May 15 the Maximum Prices agreement that expired fifteen days ago and which has been extending for more than a year.

This time the extension was made without authorizing uploads or reducing the number of items included in that list.

Finally, this week a new code of Good Commercial Practices was established that is complementary to the Gondolas Law.

One of the main changes that supermarkets must make according to the new code is that all products must be displayed uniformly.

NE

Look also

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