Freelancers: They warn that the government has fallen short and that the new scheme will not help bring in more dollars

Yesterday the government announced a new dollar liquidation plan for freelancers working abroad, with the aim of retaining part of the $ 1.8 billion annually which escape the country every year in exports of services.

The measure establishes that small exporters of services You can enter up to $ 1,000 per month in their bank accounts and they will not be obliged to pay them at the official exchange rate today $ 125. Instead, they can choose to grab the foreign currency or sell it to the MEP, for the price of $ 207.

Until now, freelancers have turned to digital or cryptocurrency accounts avoid losing $ 80 for every dollar they liquidated. The consequence of this is that one dollar out of four of exports generated by the sector does not pass through the official market and therefore the country “loses” 1,800 million dollars a year.

But the market points out that by setting a monthly limit of US $ 1,000, the government was not up to par

“We do not expect significant effects. On the one hand, the amounts are arbitrary and lowwhich excludes the vast majority of freelancers and SMEs, “said Andrés Burecovics, director of B&P Consulting, a consulting firm specializing in the export of services and regulation of cryptocurrencies.

Burecovics affirmed that “these actors already have more sophisticated techniques to, as allowed by the regulations, get out of the orbit of the Central Bank and from weighting”.

In times of change, although the new scheme makes the terms more flexible at the same time prohibits those who use this mechanism from buying dollars in the MEP for the preceding and subsequent 90 days to the income of the dollars on their accounts,

Faced with these data, Burecovics warns that “the funds entered could remain frozen for months”.

“In our opinion, the legislation on the export of services goes so against the rest of the world, that only an absolute reform involving a total liberalization of the segment could be useful,” said the lawyer.

Failed background

Sources in the sector underline that the risk is that this measure will end up like the one implemented seven months ago for foreigners to open bi-currency accounts in the country. This was intended for tourists to trade within the system at the MEP exchange rate instead of selling their tickets to the blue. But it didn’t work: the banks weren’t obliged to offer the e no accounts were openedas acknowledged in his report to Congress by the Chief of Staff, Juan Manzur.

“Although the government’s new measures are a first step to enable those working abroad to earn dollars, there is still a long way to go. All Latin American freelancers and digital entrepreneurs should be able to freely dispose of their money: no limits, no restrictions, no tax impossible“said Rubén Galindo, founder and CEO of Airtm, a fintech that has developed a platform to raise in digital dollars.

With a presence in 180 countries, Airtm has 2.8 million registered users: 55% are self-employed.

“For more than seven years, Airtm has worked to provide solutions to all Latin American entrepreneurs and freelancers who could not freely dispose of their money due to regulations or traps,” said Galindo.

Everything that is done to move us from where we were is positive. This is the first measure and I suppose there will be many more. Attracting global talent should be the national priority. Countries today are fighting for talent and they don’t just take people, they take entire companies, ”said Adrián Anacleto, CEO of Epidata, an Argentine software development SME.

Regarding the impact of the measure to attract dollars that the Central Bank does not detect today, the executive estimates that “it probably won’t be that highThe amount could always be higher, but it must be taken into account that within the range of advantaged professionals there are some who do not earn $ 3,000 or $ 4,000 a month, but rather $ 600. The number will be updated “.

Anacleto is more optimistic about the effect of the second measure announced yesterday, which allows companies in the sector to increase their exports by 50% for use those incremental dollars to pay your employees up to 20% hard currency salary. In this way, companies are encouraged to keep employees who prefer to quit to become freelancers and therefore earn more.

“I believe that it does not harm companies, because it allows them to pay part of their salary in a stronger currency, which many SMEs could not do. There is something positive from there. “

Epidata has 430 employees in Argentina and is present in Chile, Uruguay, Colombia and Peru. Other 250 workers are added abroad. “If the legislation were friendlier, those 250 employees could be ArgentineAnacleto pointed out.

AQ