04/08/2021 19:26
Clarín.com
Politics
Updated 04/08/2021 19:26
Within hours of the beginning of the new restrictions due to the second wave of coronavirus in Argentina, Alberto Fernández asked international credit organizations to "review" their current logic in the framework of the pandemic and insisted that
the rates and
repayment
terms
be
reviewed
in the debt with the International Monetary Fund
.
The president expressed these positions when he headed the opening of the plenary meeting of
the Economic and Social Council (CES) on
Thursday afternoon
.
The Government seeks
that the IMF modify its policy
of terms and surcharges in the interest rate for the debt when paying the loan of
44,000 million dollars
that was granted in 2018.
"The emergency of the pandemic
should force the credit organizations
to review the logic that has prevailed until now," said the president through a videoconference from the residence of Olivos, where he is isolated by covid.
He added: “The situation demands that we review things.
I don't want them to give Argentina a solution,
I want the credit agencies to find a solution not only for poor countries
, but also for middle-income countries, which have, like us, 40 percent poverty, but who are treated like rich countries that we are not ”.
During 2020, with the fall in economic activity and income for the majority of the population, and in the midst of the pandemic and quarantine, poverty rose from 35.5% to 42% of the population.
In one year, 3 million poor people
were
added
: there were 16 million citizens and today there are 19 million, projecting the data released by INDEC at the end of March to the entire country.
According to the official statement issued by the Presidency, Fernández said that Argentina's objective in renegotiating the debt it has with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is
"to
reach an agreement that makes
what is agreed sustainable."
“That is the frank, honest and fruitful discussion that we are having with the Fund.
I aspire for rates to be reviewed and for time to be reviewed
, ”he stated.
He specified: “In order for us to continue growing, it is imperative that we reach a solution for the debt issue that is sustainable, and for that we must review things, such as the surcharge that Argentina is paying for having taken
that ruinous loan that was taken
, and also the repayment terms ”.
Finally, Fernández said he saw positive "expressions" from the executive director of the Fund, Kristalina Georgieva: "They make me keep the
intimate expectation
that what I am raising is heard and is a solution that exceeds Argentina."
The plenary meeting was attended by the president of the CES, Gustavo Beliz;
the Minister of Economy, Martín Guzmán;
Columbia University Professor and UN Councilor Jeffrey Sachs;
the Secretary General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), Rebeca Grynspan;
the Executive Director of the Jubilee USA Network, Eric LeCompte, and the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Alicia Bárcena, as well as the members of the Council.
Yesterday, Wednesday the managing director of the IMF said that
"It is the
opportune moment
" to evaluate the Argentine proposal to reduce or eliminate the surcharge of rates applied to loans, but defended the current scheme and said that
later it will be seen if there is consensus
among the member countries to promote any change.
DS
Look also
Debt negotiation: the IMF warns that "there are differences of opinion" within the Argentine government
The IMF will evaluate the Argentine request to lower the interest on the debt, but Georgieva defended the rate
