Not even the president Javier Mileinor his Minister of Economy Luis Caputo They plan to attend the annual event of the Argentine Industrial Union this Tuesday. The absence occurs in the midst of crossroads over the opening of imports and the request of the business entity to equalize the tax conditions that other countries offer to their industries. The event will be closed by the president of the entity Daniel Funes de Rioja who could lose leadership of the UIA in the coming months. The internal situation in the sector deepens.
Small and medium-sized companies demand that the leadership of the Argentine Industrial Union be more harsh in their complaints to the Government. The questions from the leadership only came last week: “If there are phenomena of irrational and indiscriminate opening, we are going to point them out. We are concerned about the arrival of an import wave, and we must quickly address the tax aspect,” said the president of the entity.
The leadership of Daniel Funes de Rioja is questioned by a sector of the industrial universe due to his closeness to the Government. However, At the close of this article, they were not scheduled to attend the 30th Industrial Conference to be held this Tuesday neither the president Javier Milei, nor his Minister of Economy Luis Caputo. Something very unusual.
In the official schedule, only the Coordinating Secretary of Production of the Nation Juan Pazo appears confirmed. The Treasury Palace official will participate in a discussion to “address the strategic axes of the national government for the development of the industrial sector in the next four years and the competitiveness agenda.”
Tension between the Government and the industry
The deep recession that occurred between the last quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024 generated a massive factory closure and the loss of some 30,000 jobs in the sector. Industrialists are now warning of a “second wave” of factory closures which could be caused by the opening of trade.
Given the UIA’s request to improve infrastructure and lower taxes before opening imports, The pro-government deputy José Luis Espert called the businessmen “cheeky”. In his X account he said that “they always lack something to compete” and that they sell “expensive and poor quality things.”
On the industry day that was celebrated on September 2, President Javier Milei assured that “to protect the industry, the countryside was robbed”. A phrase that sounded at least inappropriate to many of those present. “To repeat that type of speech it is better that he not come,” an industrial representative told this medium.
UIA Internal: Is Funes still in Rioja?
With different nuances inside, in the UIA there are basically two positions: that of the largest companies that coincide with the direction of the Government and want to bring closer positions and that of the small and medium-sized businessmen who ask to make visible the decline in production and the critical situation that some sectors such as metallurgical and textile, among others, are going through. .
After several clashes at the Executive Committee meetings, It was decided to convey the criticism through technical reports. These are unappealable data prepared by the entity’s economists and do not enter into an ideological discussion.
In the coming months, the Argentine Industrial Union will go through a process of changing authorities. The large local firms will continue to be in control. But, as Ámbito learned, even the most important players are convinced that a change of scenery is necessary. Three different sources told Ámbito that Funes de Rioja will not continue at the helm.
Source: Ambito
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