According to General Resolution 5490/2024 published this Monday in the Official Gazette, “the high inflation context that the country is going through requires the implementation of various measures that allow mitigate its effects on the most vulnerable sectors”.
In this sense, it establishes that this measure is promoted with the objective of “reducing the tax burden on the import of a basket of essential goods in order to generate a reduction in the prices of said products, as a continuation of the policy.” economic activity arranged by the National Administration aimed at reducing inflation”.
This is added to the relaunch of a program that had been widely used in the Government of Alberto Fernandez called COFECI (Federal Council of Internal Trade) whose purpose is “the analysis and information exchange among its members, as well as the promotion and cooperation for the development of public policies related to the matter of internal trade.” Although, in this case, it is clarified that “in no case the tasks or decisions of the Federal Council for Internal Trade may involve interference in the internal affairs of a political or economic nature of each jurisdiction.”.
Inflation: the number that the Government looks at
Food prices in the basic basket rose 6.9% in the first half of March, in the midst of the controversy between the Government and supermarkets and leading mass consumption firms, according to the survey by the consulting firm LCG.
During the second week of the third month of the year, the study revealed that food increased by 3.3%, idriven mainly by increases in beverages. This figure represented a slight decline, of 0.3 percentage points, compared to the first week of the month, which had registered an increase of 3.6%.
In this way, the products in the basic basket They rose 6.9% so far this month. While in the accumulated of the last four weeks, they had an average increase of 11.6% and 11.2% from end to end in the same period.
The analysis coincided with the differences between the Executive and supermarkets and businessmen due to the application of promotions (such as 2×1 or discounts of 70% or 80% on the second unit), which according to the official view, They hide the drop in inflation in recent weeks.
At the same time, during the last week, the Government announced the opening of imports for basic basket products to seek to moderate the rise in consumer prices through greater supply.
The tax burden on food
On Sunday, a report prepared on the basket of 9 products from massive consume indicated that national, provincial and municipal taxes represent 43.9% of the final price. The work prepared by IARAF (Argentine Institute of Fiscal Analysis) is made known in the midst of the debate over price increases, the message of Luis Caputo to supermarkets for promotions and the opening of imports.
From a typical basket of goods made up of these products with a current value of $50,064, a tax burden of $21,993 has been verified, that is, 43.9% of the purchase value, said the IARAF.
The basket prepared for this article details the tax burden at its different levels.
The taxes considered at the national level are: VAT, Profits, Check Tax, Internal Taxes and Social Security charges; At the provincial level, the tax on Gross income and at the municipal level Inspection, Safety and Hygiene rate.
Depending on the type of products, the tax burden can vary between 36 and 48%.
In the IARAF report, for example, you can see the weight of taxes on the following products.
- If the consumer buys A kilogram of flouryou will be paying $305 pesos in taxes on a $845 ticket.
- In the case of a bottle of sunflower oilpays $1,150, of which $480 is taxes.
- In a package of half a kilo of ricethere are $747 pesos in taxes on a purchase of $1,790.
Source: Ambito
