The atmosphere in the energy sector, which in recent years has become one of the most thriving in the economy, is one of celebration and euphoria. This was reflected in two important events in which Ámbito participated: the annual lunch at the Sheraton hotel for Oil and Gas Day, and the Propyme seminar, organized by the Techint Group, at the Buenos Aires Convention Center, in Recoleta.
In front of more than 800 industrialists, Paolo Rocca, president of the Techint Group, revealed that he was surprised to hear Javier Milei’s first words as president: “I listened carefully and I want to say that all the aspects that the President mentions, I find a vision that It should be positive and favorable for the development of the private sector” (see separate).
Along the same lines, Ricardo Markous, CEO of Tecpetrol, Techint’s oil company, also supported the new measures of La Libertad Avanza when it was his turn to explain: “We have to look at the glass half full, despite the context, everything that was achieved , and now we are in a scenario where the right steps are being taken.”
In addition, he made reference to the latest measures to liberalize fuel prices and the announcements of the removal of subsidies made by the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo. “In the case of oil, Argentina has to go to export parity. We must correct the type of internal fuel, which has already begun, and make the rates transparent, which has already begun to be done, we are on the right path,” said Markous. In fact, he anticipated that a milestone is coming for the company: they plan to produce 100,000 barrels of oil per day in Vaca Muerta alone.
Regarding the business climate, the country manager of one of the most important oil companies in the country stated: “I have mixed feelings. As a citizen, scared, but as a company we believe it will be a good time with this liberalism, the ideas we heard were everything we had been asking for.”
The case of SMEs that supply the energy sector is quite different, many of which were invited to the Propymes seminar. For Fortín de Piedra alone, Techint worked with more than 1,000 Argentine SMEs. “By 2024 we are calm because there are no dollars for an indiscriminate opening, the problem will be in 2025,” said an SME businessman in the metallurgical sector.
SMEs hope that Horacio Marín, the former Tecpetrol, today at the head of YPF, will seek to promote the value chain. Meanwhile, they trust in the presence of industrialists within the LLA teams, such as Fernando Grasso. “The opening will help us with imports of inputs that we are currently blocked, but if the finished product from China enters, we cannot compete there,” reflected another industrialist.
Florencia Barragan
Source: Ambito
