Even with a nearly paralyzed Congress, the bill of monotribute techwhich already has half sanction of Deputiesgot majority opinion in the senate and the government Bet on it becoming law. If progress is made, workers who sell services abroad will be able to launder their activity and have income of up to $30,000 a year directly into their bank accounts, without having to pass them through the official dollar. The initiative generates rejection in the business chamberswho insist on their criticism and will seek to prevent it from prospering.
On Thursday of last week, argencon, the entity that brings together the most important companies in the knowledge economy, such as Mercado Libre or Globant, held a cocktail party at the Sheraton hotel to celebrate its first 10 years. That’s where it happened Juan Manuel Cheppi, current secretary of Knowledge Economy, of the Ministry of Economy. As this newspaper learned, businessmen and executives “regretted” the progress made by the project, which was drafted under the management of his predecessor, Ariel Sujarchuk.
In fact, when the tech monotributo was approved in Deputies, the FdT legislator Itai Hagman assured that there was a direct lobby from the owner of Mercado Libre so he wouldn’t come out. “Despite the boycott by Marcos Galperin and Juntos por el Cambio, we achieved half a sanction,” Hagman had published on his Twitter. In Together for Change, which had publicly supported the project before the day of the vote, and some even signed the commission’s opinion, on the day of the vote they ended up voting against or abstaining.
Although the underlying idea of chambers such as Argencon is not to move forward with the bill, they also believe that it could be a middle ground, such as, for example, that it applies to certain liberal professions, such as journalists or gamers who work abroad. But not for professions linked to the knowledge economy industry, such as programmers.
Another of the business chambers that came out very strongly against the tech monotribute project was the Chamber of the Software Industry (CESSI). On social networks, the Computer Trade Association (AGC), which is the union that brings together computer workers, published a statement from CESSI and went out to respond to each of its points.
In a statement, CESSI highlights the consequences that the tech monotribute will have: “Work precariousness of employees”since it ensures that those who work abroad instead of doing it for a company here, sell their services, and do not have a dependency relationship, so they do not access Christmas bonus, paid vacationsocial work, contributions for retirement in Anses or maternity leave.
In addition, CESSI states that it generates a “reduction in public income”, since it estimates that workers who adhere to the monotax will contribute to the treasury the monthly payment of the monotax, which is much less than what companies pay in tax for having employees in relation to dependence. Another point they add is that it will mean a “fall in national production and decrease in foreign currency income”because they ensure that “the development of software in the country is discouraged and the importation of software produced by Argentines is encouraged.”
Through social networks, the computer science union, which is in favor of the project, replied that for years they have been demanding to sit at a table with employers and “guarantee all labor rights” through a collective agreement, but “CESSI refuses this dialogue,” they indicated. “It is shameful to affirm that the formalization of the self-employed is synonymous with job insecurity. Today, given the exchange gap, a contractor cannot launder his income, How do you justify buying a car? The mono tech in that sense is a help”they answered.
It is that the bill proposes a tax scheme so that people who work abroad can adhere to a single tax in 3 different income categories, of US$10,000, US$20,000 and US$30,000 per year. That will allow them to have their income billed and blank, pay taxes, have social work and retirement contributions. Thus, the State, in addition to wanting to formalize what different economists call “a thriving new informality”has a macroeconomic objective: that those dollars that today enter through “caves” with high commissions of 8%, or via Payoneer cards, go through the Central Bank.
The actuality of the project is that it already had half the approval of the Deputies and now it obtained an opinion in the Senate, but it still needs to be voted on. Together for Change anticipated his rejection. Radical senator Juan Carlos Martínez assured that the problem of this sector that moves in the informal sector is due to the “abnormality” of the stocks, the gap and the different exchange rates, and that it will be solved “as of December 10”. JxC’s economic teams aim to narrow the gap and unify the exchange rate as part of a stabilization plan.
Source: Ambito
