Press conference by Martín Guzmán at the Government House. Photo Juan Manuel Foglia.
The center of much criticism of strict Kirchnerism, the Minister of the Economy, Martín Guzmán, responded on Monday to proposals within the Front of All on the Government’s economic trend, defended the rate update and said leave a message for Cristina Kirchner.
“They hit you from all sides”Guzmán said after the vice president’s harsh speech at an event in Chaco, questioning the direction of the government’s economy.
Before knowing the inflation index for April, Guzmán maintained that it was “lower than in March”, but acknowledged that “Argentina has a problem with inflation and it must be attacked and it needs a consistent economic program to help strengthen it ”.
“In four years, from 2015 to 2019, we had almost 20 points of real wage loss. We started our government and wages started to recover and the pandemic came, production fell and what was done was to protect the production of work as in ATP, “the officer pointed out.
Asked, in dialogue with Urbana Play radio, about Máximo Kirchner’s project to advance the increase in the minimum wage, he replied: “Of course we agree that the Minimum Vital and Mobile Wage is more than inflation. It is discussed in the salary of Council, we will maintain the discussion with the salary Council that aims to grow it in real terms so that the whole salary structure moves ”.
From Chaco, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner taught Martín Guzmán and the economics course. Photo: Rafael Mario Quinteros.
The son of the vice and leader of Buenos Aires PJ also targeted Guzmán from an action in Baradero. “How can Economy Minister Martín Guzmán say he is doing his job but he is not engaging in power disputes? And then what are we going to do?” asked the deputy from Frente de Todos.
In that Chicana, the head of the Treasury responded this way: “What are the power disputes that are important for Argentina? They are the ones who manage the conflicts and get the results that strengthen us as a nation,” he says.
And he cited the adjustment of private sector foreign debt, which he referred to as a “core” issue of government governance. “There I have no one to my left, no one,” he remarked.
Regarding rising inflation, he stressed that “the accumulation of reserves is essential, it is necessary to attack the problem of inflation because it is the anchor of exchange rate stability.”
“The debate of ideas is welcome. There were issues that didn’t work, others worked. We created a program on a solid foundation for it to work, to accumulate reserves, to have more calm, to anchor to expectations. For there has to be foreign exchange growth generated by the country, “he emphasized.
At this point, he questioned the freezing of tariffs and said that “wondering which country in the world has worked to channel a development path to have subsidies of 3, 4 points” of GDP.
“Energy subsidies favor the rich,” he said. Despite strong internal questions about the possible value of the increases, Guzmán stressed that “the government has decided on a course of action and it will continue on that basis.”
Source: Clarin
