The second mobilization concentrated tens of thousands of people in Congress Square, epicenter of the protest, and in different parts of the country such as Rosary (Santa Fe) and Córdoba capital, in defense of the university education public -one of the pillars of Argentine society- before the adjustment that carries forward the libertarian administration so far this year.
A detailed analysis of the Argentine Budget Association (ASAP) based on the accounting entries of the Executive power about the transfer of funds towards 61 national public universitiesrevealed that the national government incurred a total expense of $2,136,906 million between September 2023 and last month. This is an increase of 143.5%, that is, 32.1% below the increase in inflation for the same period.
From the report it appears that the total transfers, in addition to seeing affected by the variation in the Consumer Price Index (CPI)do not reflect the money sent specifically to the study houses. This is because until September 30, the universities They received $1,858,017 million, that is, 86.9% of what was earned.
The numbers disclosed by ASAP they state that none of the 61 universities nationals that are under the orbit of the Ministry of Human Capital received the amount of funds necessary to face the increase in inflationfar from it, given that the hard money of the total accrued did not enter the institutions either.
For example, the Executive reported having transferred $399,925 million so far University of Buenos Aires (UBA)154.7% more than the $157,003 accrued accumulated during last year. Thus, a budget adjustment of 29.0% is observed between what was reported and the CPI. And, as if that were not enough, the total has not yet been sent but the UBA received $349,970 million, 87.5% of what was earned.
The ASAP report also shows that the University of San Antonio de Areco (-68.5%)the University of Moreno (-46.3%)the Hurlingham University (-47.1%) and the University of Lomas de Zamora (-41.6%) are among those most affected by the adjustment, along with the University of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo (-56.2%).
The transfers for capital expenditurewhere the funds for the building renovations, purchases of computers either books, among other aspects, they collapsed practically in their entirety: The annual accumulated until September 2023 was $23,168 million, while during the current year it was barely $4 million. The drop, according to ASAP, is around 100%.
Javier Milei will advance with the veto of the law and will deepen the cut during 2025
In addition to the drop in transfers during the current year, the Budget 2025 presented by the president Milei before him Congress projects a collapse of investment in the sector. The ruling party assigned to the study houses $3.8 billion, while the National Interuniversity Council (CIN) demands $7.2 million to operate.
According to the Ibero-American Center for Research in Science, Technology and Innovation (Ciicti)it would be a collapse of 34.4% compared to 2023 and almost 4 points compared to 2024. While the consulting firm Equilibra assures that the planned funds would reach the lowest level in 20 years.
Despite this, the President plans to veto the University Financing law sanctioned by Parliament. This Thursday is the deadline for Milei to sign the decree. “The Government is not against the claim, we are against Congress passing laws without a budget allocation, laws that cannot be financed,” said the presidential spokesperson. Manuel Adorni.
The law, approved in the Senate with 57 affirmative votes, 10 negative and one abstention, obliges the Executive Branch to update the budget items to cover operating, research and extension expenses in universities. In addition, it orders the budgets of the Universities to be updated every two months according to inflation.
According to data from the Budget Officethe update of games for 2023 according to the IPC is $210,742 million, while the bimonthly adjustment of resources for 2024 is $86,254 million. The disbursements to update salaries would range from $441,600 millions.
Universities warned that the current situation “is more critical than at the beginning of the year”
He National Interuniversity Council (CIN) that brings together the 61 public universities of the country, the organizer of this Wednesday’s march, issued a statement after the mobilization in which they indicated that, despite five months having passed since the first march, and after successive meetings with the Government, the current situation “is more critical than at the beginning of the year.”
The university entity stated that at that time, the objective of the mobilization was “avoid the serious situation we are experiencing today”. However, despite the good will of the rectors and the unions, “the Reconduction of the 2023 budget to 2024 made the operating expense items completely outdated“and the joint ventures “deepened the loss of the purchasing power of wages.”
“As if this were not enough, we endure an unfair, planned and intentional campaign, which systematically seeks to discredit what happens in the scientific and university sphere to justify de-hierarchical de-hierarchy and budgetary suffocation,” criticized the CIN. It is worth remembering that in recent days, the Ministry of Human Capital accused the universities of “invent students” to expand teaching positions.
“The situation today is more critical than at the beginning of the yearwith a cdramatic chapter on salary. The loss of those of us who work in public universities is a unusual gravity; with a huge percentage of teachers and non-teachers receiving a salary below the poverty line, if not destitution. This compromises one of the cores of the public university, since it puts at risk the continuity of the academic, administrative and services staff essential for its operation,” the statement continued.
Likewise, they stated that defending the salary of university workers “In this distressing context, it is not about defending privileges but rather our rights”, given that it is about demanding “minimum conditions for a dignified life.” of those who have the responsibility of training future generations of professionals, of guaranteeing the functioning of the institution that makes it possible.
At the end, they spoke to the President so that he would not veto the law. “You have at your fingertips a reasonable law that solves the problems, taking care of the State and its economy. We students from all over Argentina ask you, in a cry for help to save the system: enact the University Financing Law!”, they closed.
Source: Ambito
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