The Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, is convinced that both the price of dollar such as the goods sold in the supermarkets They respond to a reality that would not be the current one.
Hence, if they ask him about one or the other, he responds with similar arguments. For example, in the meeting held this Monday afternoon with the main directors of supermarket chains assured them that “The prices of mass consumption products today do not reflect the new economic reality.”
Days ago he also pointed out in an interview that the price of dollar responded to an erroneous view of exchange and stock market operators who, in his opinion, would not be seeing the change that is occurring in Argentina.
In that context, Caputo, the Secretary of Industry and Productive Development, Juan Pazo, and his counterpart of Commerce, Pablo Lavigne, held a meeting at the Palacio de Hacienda with the leaders of the main supermarkets. On the business side, representatives of Coto, La Anónima, Carrefour, Chango Más, Día, and Cencosud.
“The Minister placed particular emphasis on the fact that “The prices of mass consumption products do not reflect the new economic reality today,” says an official statement from the Treasury Palace. The note adds that “Alternatives were debated to combat excessive price increases and thus protect consumers.”
Caputo believes that The companies “priced” (set the price) assuming that there was going to be a mess in the country’s economic conditions. It’s like they did an “overshoot” and now they are looking to roll back, but without lowering the list prices. It is then assumed that in Companies should “whiten” or “cleanse” the value to whom they sell things instead of sending promotions like “70% off the second unit.”
In the last hours, both the Minister of Economy and the president Javier Milei They came out publicly through social networks question the aggressive promotions of the big chains.
Companies did not respond well to some measures
It is noticeable in the latest official statements from the Treasury Palace that there is a certain unease regarding the way in which companies have reacted to measures that were supposedly aimed at making their work easier.
In the meeting with the mass consumption companies last Wednesday, The official statement recalls that “Caputo emphasized that the program began to show results in terms of slowing inflation due to the ordering of public accounts and the improvement in the Central Bank’s balance sheet.”
And also in the statement there is a list: ”Measures for de-bureaucratization and normalization of internal and foreign trade such as non-renewal of the Fair Prices program, the repeal of the Supply, Gondolas and Price Observatory lawsthe termination of trusts, and the repeal of information regimes that only increased costs in the productive chains.”
Beyond the questions, for supermarkets, dismantling the promotion system in times of falling sales is very complicated. It is a tool that they have been using for several years.
Caputo also insisted to retail leaders that the government is not going to change its plan. He explained to the businessmen “that s“The economic program is being closely followed, based on fiscal balance and the recomposition of the Central Bank’s balance sheet.”
“He added that lowering inflation was the priority in order to stabilize the economy, and thus begin a cycle of growth that allows for lower taxes. He confirmed that “The country will not change its economic course, beyond the political ups and downs,” he emphasized.
In other words, the head of the Treasury Palace It tries to prevent economic agents from setting prices in anticipation of a potential economic disaster or an unforeseen jump in the exchange rate.
Source: Ambito
