The village priests issued a
harsh statement
this Monday in which they question the national government's decision to drastically cut the funds of the Urban Social Investment Fund (FISU), which is managed by social organizations in popular neighborhoods.
The text, titled "No to cuts in public policies in towns, settlements and popular neighborhoods", was signed by a team of more than 50 priests from the towns and popular neighborhoods of Argentina.
There they warn that this decision means "a setback that
generates greater exclusion and, therefore, insecurity and social disintegration
."
There they highlight the public policies that in recent years allowed "many neighbors to achieve better access to sewers, water, electricity, schools, living rooms and community centers. Others were able to expand and improve their humble homes."
"It is not good to disconnect the State from the towns and settlements. It is
a very hard blow
to lower this financing that benefits more than 5 million residents, among whom the majority are minors," he stated.
And then they warned that "the intervention of the State in the more than 5,000 popular neighborhoods throughout the country cannot decline. Lowering the budget of the FISU (Social-Urban Integration Fund) would be going backwards. We cannot tolerate such a setback that generates greater exclusion and, therefore, insecurity and social disintegration. It is practically the only public policy that targets the hard core of poverty."
In that sense, they asked the national government to "review what is necessary to make Socio-Urban Integration an increasingly effective reality."
What is the FISU and how much was cut
The national government reduced this Monday from 9% to 0.3% the percentage of collection of the COUNTRY Tax destined for the Socio-Urban Integration Fund (FISU), aimed at financing projects in popular neighborhoods and the creation of lots with services, through of Decree 193/2024, published today in the Official Gazette.
In recent weeks, the Government proposed a review of trust funds.
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The presidential spokesperson confirmed it at a press conference.
"We seek transparency, not to eliminate the function that each fund fulfilled, but to have more transparency and those destinations that we find that should actually continue to exist may continue to exist very transparent, very controlled," said the presidential spokesperson last Thursday, Manuel Adorni.
These funds - indicated Adorni - represent an expense "around US$ 2,000 million."
Law 27,541, which created the Country Tax, established that 70% of the collection be directed to Anses and PAMI programs, and the remaining 30% to works, tourism and housing.
Of that 30%, 30% was allocated directly to the FISU, 65% to economic infrastructure works and 5% to the promotion of national tourism.
Today's decree reduces 30% of the FISU to 1%, increasing the amount allocated to infrastructure works to 94%.
In absolute terms over 100% of the Tax collection, the fund went from receiving the total 9% of the tax to 0.3% today.
The FISU, created in 2019, was one of the trust funds under evaluation, and was intended to finance socio-urban integration projects for neighborhoods registered in the National Registry of Popular Neighborhoods (Renabap).
Among other works, access to water services, sewage, sidewalks, urban equipment, playgrounds and sports centers, green spaces and safe electricity annexations is financed, as well as the creation of new urban land for the construction of lots.
More cuts to the Province
This Monday the Government, through decree 192/2024, repealed article 4 of DNU No. 735 of September 9, 2020, which created said fund to “contribute to sustaining the normal functioning of the finances of the Province of Buenos Aires ”.
The Executive justified its decision by maintaining that it is carried out within the framework of “a necessary adjustment at the national level”, which is protected by the megadecree of December 20 that declared a public emergency in economic, financial, fiscal, administrative matters, among others. sectors.
"The aforementioned Fiscal Strengthening Fund of the Province of Buenos Aires affected the general interests of the Nation as a whole, depriving the national State of resources necessary for the organization of public accounts, which is why it is necessary to repeal Article 4. of Decree No. 735 of September 9, 2020," argues the DNU that bears the signature of President Javier Milei;
the Chief of Staff, Nicolás Posse, and the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo.
Following the Executive's decision, the head of Government of the City of Buenos Aires, Jorge Macri, expressed that he hopes that the Court's ruling will be complied with and that the funds will be returned to the people of Buenos Aires.
Meanwhile, Axel Kicillof is advancing with a judicial presentation to try to stop Javier Milei's decision.