The last meeting organized by Transportation brought together members of the Federation of Argentine Shipping Companies, the Argentine Chamber of Shipping, the Chamber of Argentine Flag Shipowners and businessmen from Grupo Servicios Marítimos, CMSA SRL and Atria Logística.
The objective of the work tables is to promote measures that benefit the industry, promoting the defense of national interests, official sources said. Businessmen welcomed the call for dialogue and raised the need to seek solutions as soon as possible.
One of the ideas is to set a progressive percentage of cargo reservation for national flag vessels. It would start with a minimum of 5% mandatory load. Today, just because of the current labor regime, Argentine ships are 50% more expensive than Paraguayan or Panamanian ships, to which is added VAT on fuel and other taxes on wealth, while in Paraguay up to 9% is paid for all concept.
For this reason, another measure that is analyzed would be the granting of tax benefits similar to those provided in mining activities. Thus, Argentine vessels would obtain a reduction in costs with the reduction of VAT, Gross Income and Check Tax, for example. In the sector they insist that the cost of moving goods by river here is more than double that in other countries.
Another aspect that could be taken into account is the launch of new subsidized lines of credit (naval mortgages) for the purchase of new vessels or refurbishment of existing ones. In addition, it would be sought to repatriate the “runaway” ships, but with the condition that the final beneficiary of the cargo reservation is a company with national capital, and not a local corporation created by foreigners, which then send their profits to the head offices.
At the beginning of the week, Minister Guerrera listened to the union members, who gave him an X-ray of the crisis and also requested urgent measures. However, with the passing of days, the Ship Drivers Union of the Argentine Republic (Siconara), led by Armando Alessi, yesterday launched a strike for 48 hours in the operation of ships dedicated to the extraction and transport of sand whose capacity of load exceeds 1,500m³. They ask for a recategorization and that the “exploitation” endowments adjust to the operations of these ships.
The Siconara, which brings together the drivers and motorists of gas tankers, chemical tankers, oil tankers, tugboats, fishing boats, pilot boats, sandboxes and passengers, launched the force measure with the support of SOMU, the Association of Captains and Baqueanos, the Center for Chiefs and Naval Machinist Officers and the Center for River Masters and Officers. Everyone is on alert for what is happening in the Merchant Navy.
At the same time, the head of the Dredging and Marking Union and CATT No. 2, Juan Carlos Schmid, recalled that the fall from grace of the 2022 Budget casts doubt on the execution of works to improve port and maritime infrastructure, including the tender for the Magdalena Canal. “There can be neither delays nor justifications to concretely face the measures that make its tender effective,” he assured, and also demanded that the trunk system from Santa Fe to the North be executed by a national company, to re-accumulate the specific knowledge and provide of life to the districts of Rosario, Paraná and Corrientes. “A definition of the Government in this regard is urgently needed,” claimed the port unionist. He is not the only one asking for it.
Source From: Ambito
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