The president of the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA), Daniel Funes de Rioja, rejected politicians who “do not want to recognize the role of the industry”, while the Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, defended the sector as a motor of the economy and announced the release of pending import permits in the sector. This harmony occurred during the act organized by the manufacturing center in Paraná, to celebrate Industry Day.
The celebration was held for the first time in history in the capital of Entre Ríos. It was attended by Massa and the economists who advise the main spaces that dispute the Presidency.
Economic billboard: Entities celebrate Industry Day
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“Without industry there is no Nation, but with a federal industry, with all sectors and looking to the future,” explained the head of the UIA, Daniel Funes de Rioja, at the opening.
The social economic context “is complex,” he considered before some 550 businessmen from all over the country, gathered at the Provincial Convention Center (CPC), but he said that the industrial sector “is the engine of growth and employment in the country.”
For this reason, he rejected “some politicians who do not want to recognize the role of the industry”, and pointed out that the activity “is not afraid of the world, but do not deliver us with our hands tied because we already know what is happening”.
In addition, he recalled that last year the celebration was not held for the attempted assassination of the vice president, Cristina Kirchner, and described the event as “an offense against the whole of society.”
In his turn, Massa announced the decision to release all pending Sira for industrial SMEs, in order to “guarantee jobs and boost activity.”
The Import System of the Argentine Republic (Sira) is an electronic procedure used to manage imports, through which external purchases are authorized.
The decision was made after August “was the month with the greatest accumulation of Central Bank reserves” in 17 years and will allow the import review system to be more agile.
The Central Bank bought US$242 million in the week and US$1,125 million in the month. Since the launch of the export promotion program on July 24, US$2.18 billion was obtained.
The presidential candidate of Unión por la Patria (UxP) criticized the opposition projects of dollarization and bimonetarism, which he described as “cowardly dollarization”, and assured that the defense of an industrial project requires “recovering the value of the currency, selling more than what we buy”.
He also rejected the role of the IMF, which he once again compared to the figure of a trustee who “measures accounts and raises situations that are a problem,” but said that in 2024 the country “will regain its freedom from the commercial account.”
Massa’s announcement “is going to help export dynamics, it is part of a plan to start normalizing, because more foreign currency is going to enter Argentina,” said Gabriel Bourdin, president of the provincial Industrial Union (UIER), who also celebrated his 20 years.
“History shows that successful economic stabilization plans were based on a unified commitment, which requires the collaboration of political, economic and social forces to have a solid network of measures,” he completed. The Minister of Economy of Entre Ríos, Hugo Ballay, affirmed that the decision “is very successful and affects many provincial industries that were pending today.”
On the other hand, the governor of Entre Ríos, Gustavo Bordet, criticized the proposals of La Libertad Avanza to “break with China and Brazil.”
Economists exhibition
Economists from different political spaces participated in a debate on the economy and the future of the industry within the framework of the meeting organized by the UIA in Paraná.
The Vice Minister of Economy, Gabriel Rubinstein, stressed that before lowering taxes “you have to have a surplus and a more formal economy”, while rejecting the slogan of “dynamite everything” that arises from the opposition. He recalled that between 2003 and 2005 “there was a surplus of up to 3%, there were excess reserves”, and he specified that “this has to be the north”.
Enrique Szewach, from Patricia Bullrich’s team, announced that if they win the elections, “there will be four months where everyone will have to contribute” and then they will advance in labor reforms, another in Afip, in “a new Mercosur”, and a tax reform that “it will imply changing the relationship between the Nation and the provinces.”
For his part, Darío Epstein, from La Libertad Avanza, called for “a shock of private investment to grow” because “the public sector is useless,” and explained that if they take power in December, they will not open the economy nor will there be dollarization.
“We hope there will be a demand for pesos, there is no talk of dollarization,” the economist replied, and stated that the currency exchange rate will be “determined by the market.”
In addition, he pointed out that they will not open the economy until 2026. He did admit that “some companies are not strong enough.” The Liberal government, he warned, “is not going to protect them.”
Around
For its part, the Assembly of Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (Apyme) will celebrate National Industry Day next Monday at the facilities of the company Indumentaria Pampeana SA, in the town of 9 de Abril, province of Buenos Aires. Agustín Rossi, Chief of Staff of the national government and candidate for vice president of UxP, will be present, together with Julián Moreno, president of Apyme. The entity has been carrying out the campaign “What SMEs need”.
