The Minister of Economy, Luis Caputoannounced on Tuesday that the Municipalities will be prohibited from including taxes in the billing of essential services such as electricity and gasThe decision will be made through a resolution by the Secretariat of Industry and Commerce that will be published tomorrow in the Official Gazette.
“In response to repeated public complaints about municipalities that include local taxes in the billing of essential services such as electricity and gas, The Secretariat of Industry and Commerce of the Ministry of Economy ordered, through Resolution 2024-267, which will be published tomorrow in the Official Gazette,” Minister Caputo published on his X account.
As he explained, the bills for essential services They must only contain, in a unique and exclusive manner, the description and price corresponding to the service contracted by the consumer.“it is prohibited to include charges unrelated to the nature of the service.”
The Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation, Federico Sturzeneggercame out to support the measure. On his X account he said that “Provincial and municipal public spending has grown so much in recent years because their taxes and fees were hidden in invoices or as one more tax.“Fiscal transparency will help generate greater tax awareness and reduce spending.”
Taxes represent up to 49% of the price of a basic product
Of every $100 of a basic necessity product, up to $49.1 may be due to taxes, According to a report by the Argentine Chamber of Distributors and Wholesale Self-Service Stores (CADAM). They ask for “remove tax pressure and mandatory contributions that are not essential, to lower labor costs.”
The CADAM made a study about the tax burden in the chain marketing of basic necessities. Depending on the municipality, the total of national, provincial and municipal taxes varies between 38.1% and 49.1%. “We only have between 3 and 5% profit left“, the wholesalers complained.
Along these lines, CADAM asked the municipalities to “reverse the increases, Furthermore, they did so in the middle of the fiscal year, which complicates the projection of this burden that the companies had already calculated.” They also requested that the municipalities and provincial governments adhere to the new Regime of Fiscal Transparency for the Consumer.
The mayor of Quilmes, Mayra Mendoza, questioned the measure announced by Caputo and stated that they seek to “drown the municipalities.” “The government of Javier Milei has decided to drown the municipalities“They are not going to succeed!” he denounced.
Mendoza assured that the decision announced by Luis Caputo “does not harm the mayors” but, on the contrary, will affect “the residents of each district.”
The mayor pointed out against the increase in rates: “What all Argentine families are seeing is an insensitive and unaffordable rate hike of up to 300%and in some cases the values already exceed a minimum pension, to which, as if that were not enough, they seek to veto an increase. This is what they want to cover up by attacking the municipalities.”
Source: Ambito
