“We want to make it clear that it is not a question of always thinking that there are luxury consumptions in food. It is the right of middle-income sectors, workers and humble sectors to be able to consume calmly the last three months of the year,” said the official .
Likewise, he made it clear that the businessmen did not express “surprise” at this request for a freeze. “When I propose the acceleration of prices that occurs in the first half of October, it is incontestable,” he pointed out and gave as an example increases of between 10% to 25% in canned goods, coffees, personal hygiene, cleaning supplies.
“This has to be rolled back and stabilized for 90 days.”said the Secretary of Internal Trade, adding that the freeze will encourage consumption that businessmen “will be able to take advantage of by quantity and not by prices.” “Many companies have valued the experience of Precious Care because it allowed them to be placed in the gondola of a supermarket, which is not easy,” he added.
From the meeting on Monday, he considered that there were many representatives of the companies who were in favor of the agreement, for which they opened the period of 12 more hours to continue analyzing the lists in detail. “I think there has to be a vocation in agreement,” he said.
On the other hand, he denied that this generates product shortages. “There shouldn’t be any. The installed capacity in Argentina is 62%, that is, there is no need to expand it. Up to 80% there should be no strangulation of the supply problem. And secondly, they have the possibility of a consumer market that It is going to expand because there are more people on the street and more movement, “he said.
Previously, Funes de Rioja stated that the meeting “was in a very good tone” and stressed that between businessmen and the Government “there is a very good level of dialogue.” “We are talking to reach an agreement,” he said.
He also announced that now the Government must diagram the list of products that will be involved in the new program company by company. “The secretary is going to send a list, which is going to be issued tonight, and tomorrow the companies will formulate their proposals with the revised list,” explained Funes de Rioja.
From the initial list of more than 1200 products outside the current programs, Funes de Rioja announced that they discussed the possibility of advancing in a list “that includes Care Prices and Super Close”. “There are around 1,650 products,” as a whole, he confirmed.
Before the meeting, the head of the UIA rejected the price freeze and assured that measures of this type “do not work in any country in the world.”
Several companies brought to the meeting a list of products that could serve as a counter offer to the one prepared by the Government.
“Neither price controls nor freezes we like. They are part of a deformation that is inflation, which is something that does not suit anyone,” said Funes de Rioja.
He considered that the freezing policies “are not justified in the context of the multi-causality of inflation” and asked “to seek State policies that allow Argentina to stabilize.”
One of the doubts of the business sector is to know if the measure will be backed by regulations by decree.
On the other hand, Funes de Rioja responded to Feletti’s warning regarding a possible application of the Supply Law. “We have guaranteed the supply throughout the pandemic no matter what happens,” he said.
In addition, he stressed that as citizens, businessmen “are subject to the law” and although “with the supply law we have clear discrepancies, it is not the issue that we have come to discuss” since “an issue of this nature is discussed in Courts “.
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