In a kind of self-criticism that ended up confirming what is obvious, the Government admitted that it cannot find a way to contain inflation despite having believed that it had the answer to the problem.
"We thought that we had achieved it in the last quarter of last year, it was not like that," said today the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, Agustín
Rossi, who acknowledged that the inflation rate for March, which reached 7.7%, "is not the result they expected
."
In this sense, he outlined a defense of the failed management of Sergio Massa.
He maintained that "it is not that they are not doing anything", but he explained that Economy has "a short toolbox to make decisions".
"Clearly it is not the result of inflation that we expected nor does it go in the direction of the effort that we have been making to find a downward path. Nobody can be happy with these numbers, except us," Rossi said in an interview with the Conflict of Interest program. on Radio 10.
Rossi maintained that March is "seasonally the most complicated month in inflationary terms" for various technical reasons, although he spoke of not making excuses and hoping that April "starts a downward path."
"
We know the pain that it generates in the popular sectors
, it makes us very angry that it happens in our government," he added.
"We thought that we had achieved it in the last quarter of last year. In the first week of January, prices moved as in December, but in the second fortnight the market took note of the negative effect of the drought on reserves and ended the attempted devaluation run That is the technical explanation," he said.
The minister also maintained that no measure is ruled out, including a bonus for workers.
"The salary is outdated, measures are being studied,
it is not that we are not doing anything
, but with the rates it is clear that we have to do more," he said.
"The possibility of a bonus for workers is on the table, it has not been ruled out. All the initiatives that are coming up are under analysis," he added.
"We are Peronists, our objective is to generate work and that it is well paid, so that Argentines live well. We are not going to give up and we are going to continue fighting together with the Minister of Economy," Rossi said.
Thus, Rossi differed from the first reactions of the Government regarding inflation.
It is that yesterday, minutes after INDEC's 7.7% of March was known, the presidential spokesperson Gabriela Cerruti chose to repeat the official script that both the president and several of his officials have been using for months: blame the war from Ukraine.
In an unusual message, the spokeswoman said: "The number we see today represents the worst moment of the impact of the war on international prices and the worst drought in the country's history. We know, it hurts us, it occupies us, how it affects the daily life and each family," he said, also blaming the drought.
And he was optimistic for the coming months, something that no private study projects.
"We know that most of the analyzes show us that this was the worst moment and that a downward trend began that we hope to see reflected soon."
The Secretary of Commerce, Matías Tombolini, was in charge of putting his face for the Economy.
He used, like Cerruti, a somewhat tired argument that has been repeated so much: he blamed the price makers, but he pointed directly to Chinese stores and supermarkets, technically known as local businesses.
"We are seeing that the behavior of these price makers in terms of compliance in hypermarkets is correct, but they fail to comply in local businesses, where more than 60% of the consumption of our compatriots transits," he said.
And he added: "While in the price programs these moved 5.1% in local businesses these prices moved 11.8%. It is clear that the price makers are not complying with the agreements that we have entered into in a manner voluntary".
"The opposition proposes doubling inflation and tripling poverty"
Rossi admitted the difficulties the government is going through to find a way to stop the rise in prices, but accused the opposition of not having better plans.
"It is not that we are in a situation where we can imagine a lot more things, it is a difficult situation. They got angry when I said that the opposition program will bring more inflation. When you read what they clearly say, the only thing they propose is more devaluation
, more inflation
and more poverty", accused the minister.
"Remove withholdings, unify the exchange rate. That is more devaluation. They are going to double inflation, triple poverty.
The Ministry of Economy has a short toolbox
to make decisions, what we are trying to do is prevent everything from getting worse," he added. Rossi.
"I can only apologize to a lady who comes with a little monkey to complain about the price rise, but I am not going to sit idly by in front of those who want to solve this with more inflation and more poverty. They are two different planes" , attacked.
"When I said that Macri, Bullrich and Milei are the same, they made me angry. But they say it. If they are looking to dynamite, or 'semi-dynamite', what is the difference?" he said.
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