Businessmen are demanding a global deal so Argentina doesn’t keep missing out on opportunities

The first point in common at the beginning of the Conference for the 20 years of the Argentine Association of Companies (SAA) was the need the country had a turning point, an agreement, which allows break the vicious circle instability, inflation, fiscal deficit and loss of presence on international markets.

Y that Argentina take advantage of its power once and for alll, especially in the current context of international demand for food and energy.

The speech that followed Alberto Fernández’s recorded statements was attended by Héctor Magnetto (Clarín), Luis Pagani (Arcor) and Alberto Hojman (BGH), moderated by José del Río (La Nación). Alfredo Coto, who was to attend the meeting, apologized for a last minute inconvenience.

In a first round of five-minute presentations, Magnetto took the floor and tried to answer what are the main challenges macro that Argentina must get out of stagnation.

“In our country, the conquest and maintenance of power are usually above its instrumental function, its role as an instrument of development and progress, this is transferred to a dynamics that aggravate the comparison, feeds the interior and makes it difficult any serious attempt at strategic thinkinganother great national deficit ”, began his speech.

“To this we must add a persistent relativization of the basic rules of the game of capitalist democracywhich are none other than those of our Constitution ”, he added.

The head of Grupo Clarín pointed to the evil of the moment: inflation and the constant loss of value of the currency. “There are no physical or geographic reasons why a business, property or salary is so depreciated in our country in relation to the region and the world. There are fundamentally political, institutional and economic reasons ”.

The entrepreneur said that to grow more goods and services must be produced and for this a “profitable private investment” is needed.. That investment added: “it requires macroeconomic and legal stabilityrespect for property rights and the effective division of powers and, above all, a clear and tenacious political decision accompanied by the necessary agreements to carry it forward ».

“We Argentines have spent many decades of negligible growth, of endemic inflation, of fiscal imbalances and permanent balance of payments, of monetary issue Y indebtedness to finance them, ”he described.

“In this process of decline of the country public spending and taxes have increased enormouslyeven the most distortive, imbalances that can become real mortgages as we move away from prudence and we insist on voluntary measures “.

“When we speak of income multiplication, we speak of encouraging the productive forces, of normalizing again – realistically and prudently – fiscal, logistical, infrastructural, regulatory and educational distortions. Distortions that hinder investment, block job creation, delay innovation and ultimately affect the country’s productivity and competitiveness, ”he said.

Y he asked to rebuild internal and external credibility of the country to exploit the potential global demand for food and energy. “We have to show ourselves and the world that we can be a reliable capitalist democracy, and so on no more delays“.

The Argentine brand in the world

louis pagani He agreed that Argentina was losing its place in the world, especially in terms of exports, despite its privileged geographical position, away from any conflict, and the entrepreneurial capacity of its inhabitants. Y highlighted the progress of agriculturein terms of direct seeding, the developments in the engineering of agriculture in the hinterland and biotechnologies.

For the owner of Arcor, Argentina’s big challenge is to try put branded products on the world’s gondolas.

“I see that our participation in international trade has decreased in recent years. In 1948, Argentina accounted for 2.64% of world trade and today only 0.27%. Exports of the food and beverage industry have stagnated, around 11,000 million dollars (excluding the oilseed complex) ”, he specified.

For the entrepreneur Argentina has opportunities in Asia and Africa. So much so that Pagani recalled that the company is about to open its first plant outside America in Angola.

“Between the public and private sectors, what we need to do is a national strategic plan“, Pagani said, so as not to start all the time from scratch.” Five-year goal, a that the employer can be sure for the investments the country needs, “he said.

With certainty, Pagani said, Argentina could soon easily exceed 200 million tons of cereals. “The industry is ready. it needs more certainties.

Entrepreneurs, trade unions and politicians

At the time, Hojman called for “a coordinated search for growth opportunities for the country” and included in that search “entrepreneurs, politicians, trade unions, educators, justice”.

“Nobody independently will be able to disclose this knot that paralyzes us. We must work together, creating opportunities for our children and grandchildren do not try to emigrate“, he indicated.

For the head of BGH, “Argentina has potential, but it is not enough. Trust is needed. Only with confidence is the trend towards fiscal balance, the generation of a greater flow of exports and an increase in investments possible, and for this it is must have a reasonably shared view and the national strategy for the next few years “.

“It is not efficient for the rules of the game to be changed with each new government. It is necessary a majority political agreement which allows for the creation of a basic consensus to be able to carry out tax, social security and labor reforms. And support a solid and reliable judicial system, to achieve sustained growth over time “.

development note