Martin Guzman, Minister of Economy.
Less than a week before the hearings begin to define increases of up to 21% in rates and segment subsidies among the internal which the Minister of Economy as the target of attacks, The Government does not rule out the possibility of delaying the start of the subsidy scheme agreed with the IMF, scheduled for June 1.
In a context where the agreement with the International Monetary Fund predicted contingencies due to war and permanent changes were expected, from an official dispatch they assured that June 1 was an “estimated” date. “June 1 should not be the yes or yes segmentation“, they pointed out. That scenario was discussed on the last trip to Washington.
The minister is preparing for a litmus test next week: there are expectations within the government as well as in the business sector for the start of the hearings were called for Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12which will determine the price of gas, electricity and the segmentation of subsidies, respectively.
After a 20% increase in electricity and gas in March, Guzmán seeks to apply another increase from June, which for most customers is between 17 and 21.5%. The problem is that this increase -42.7% on the year- is resisted by the Kirchnerist wing to the Secretary of Energy, led by the Undersecretary of Electric Energy, Federico Basuado, and the head of Enargas, Federico Bernal.
“It can be advanced, Alberto Fernández and Martín Guzmán make the political decision“, said official sources. They also believe that there is time to implement a measure” never implemented “and tried by Cristina Kirchner in 2014, without success. However, they admitted that” segmentation needs to be done by the Secretary of Energy ”.
The undersecretary of Energy Planning Santiago López Osornio, a man of Guzmán has already defined the criteria for determining the 10% of users with the highest revenue, where subsidies will be eliminated and increases of up to 200%will be applied. People with social benefits will have a social rate and others will have an increase of no more than 42.7% by 2022.
To select the highest decile, Economy considers holders whose income exceeds 3.5 Total Major Baskets, an amount that in March was $ 314,000. And the same goes for those who own planes or expensive boats, own three or more registered properties or three or more five-year-old motor vehicles.
The standard, according to the government, can be applied at the national level and is “complementary” to the map of 13 neighborhoods drawn by Conicet at the request of Basualdo, a scheme that reflects the value of AMBA’s assets. Sources further confirm that the proposal “was discussed with ENRE (Electric Energy Regulatory Entity) and Basualdo“.
In recent times, they have specified that ANSES databases and the automotive registry will be used, without using AFIP. “Tax or banking secrecy will not be violated, the work will be done using public data based on the presentations of people interested in being reappointed, ”official sources confirmed.
What is not known is whether the Secretary of Energy, who is in charge of the hearings, and the regulatory entities, under the control of K, will comply with the order. Those areas have the power to make changes. And the reduction of the financial deficit depends in part on his decision. Guzmán promised to reduce subsidies, but now in the government they believe this goal will be reviewed next year.
Tensions have already been revealed in reports from warring areas. On the one of April Basuldo warned that Guzmán’s rate increase could not be applied, and estimated the overall increase at 65%. for users in the intermediate category, which in winter will reach 400% in AMBA. A guided missile that threatens an important point of the economic program.
Source: Clarin
