With international markets virtually closed to Argentina, multilaterals appear as the viable option to finance essential projects, in a context where the Government also aims to order the fiscal front. With all this scenario, Massa appointed in the Federal Development Planning and Competitiveness Secretariat, which is in charge of executing the plans, the former deputy chief of staff Jorge Neme.
So far this year, the Palacio de Hacienda It has already closed financing with nine governors to solve productive investment projects; most will be executed to modernize irrigation systems, rural roads and to alleviate the agricultural emergency in the provinces. As high-level sources from that portfolio explained to Ámbito, it is projected to execute “a minimum of US$50 million per month, at least US$600 million in the year.”
At this time, the central objectives are to accelerate the tenders for works so that the credits that were signed with the provinces begin to be executed and to incorporate the remaining provinces before the end of the first quarter of the year. Neme told Ámbito that the initiatives aim to “generate new jobs, reconfigure the social fabric and significantly increase exports”.
“Investment in expansion programs for irrigated agriculture it is a key issue. In Argentina we have water resources where we could perfectly irrigate 6 million hectares. If we manage to transform the entire irrigation area, technical irrigation, we could irrigate 10 million hectares,” the Secretary told this medium and added: “We have put together an investment portfolio for the agricultural sector of more than US$1,000 millions. In the coming months we are going to be seeing the results of these programs that we launched that are going to seriously contribute to the competitiveness of a set of production chains”.
Projects
Sergio Massa and the governor of Black river, Arabela Carrera, signed the “Modernization and improvements in the irrigation system of the Viedma Valley” project, which has funds from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (BIRF) and the World Bank for US$2,765,763. In addition, progress is being made on an irrigation project to extend the irrigated hectares in the area of Negro Muerto and Colonia Josefa.
In Mendoza, the financing of the Modernization work of the Rama Chimba Canal Irrigation System will allow increasing the efficiency of irrigation in the 4,439 hectares of the region and has an investment of US$ 11,158,000 million. Another project was signed with the governor of Between riversGustavo Bordet, and it has to do with mitigating the agricultural risk produced by the increase in rainfall, through the readjustment of roads that guarantee accessibility, connectivity and reduction of vehicle operation costs.
Agreements were also signed with Salta, Formosa, Catamarca, La Rioja, Chaco and San Juan. For the most part, they are focused on modernizing rural infrastructure and promoting climate-sustainable practices. As this medium was able to learn, in the coming weeks another set of agreements will continue to be advanced to speed up disbursements.
Source: Ambito
