In 2021, the goal was to reach 600,000 computers in eight companies of the country that obtained the tender. They made an investment of $500 million to re-adapt plants and production lines. In 2022, they plan to produce more than a million. For this, the Ministry of Productive Development is considering granting a subsidy per manufactured machine.
In terms of jobs, the return of this industry aimed to generate 4,500 new jobs, between direct and indirect. According to private sector sources, around 1,500 jobs were created, and they expect to end the year with 3,000 new jobs.
Duty
The companies that work in the country had the expectation of initially starting to produce for the educational program, and then to supply the domestic market. For that, they demanded a change in tariffs. During the government of Cristina Kirchner, it had been raised to 35%, and in the administration of Mauricio Macri it was lowered to 0%. The request was to take it to 16%, as Mercosur has. A businessman from the sector commented that they were looking for a “midpoint”which allows competition against imports, and at the same time that no company can raise prices “for having a captive market”.
However, on December 31 of last year, the Government published in the Official Gazette the extension of the 0% tariff until 2028 for computer and telecommunications goods. Although the publication refers to the common external tariff and leaves the door open to some flexibilities, high official sources ratified the continuity of the commercial policy: “Argentina today does not have the capacity to make high-end computers. Putting a tariff on it is making an industry like the knowledge economy more expensive.”
Computers
Argentina has a deficit in terms of connectivity. The 2010 census found that 47% of households had access to computers. The updated data will be obtained in the census that was carried out this Wednesday.
In any case, the Indec publishes data based on the permanent household survey for urban agglomerations. The last one was published this Monday, which realized that 64.2% of households have access to a computer. The use presents great differences according to the educational level. For the population with Incomplete secondary school is 37.8%, while with complete university it reaches 69.3%.
Source: Ambito
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