User entities asked for public hearings before removing subsidies

A group of 33 user and consumer associations from all over the country made a presentation in front of the Ministries of Economy and Public Works, to ask that a public hearing be held to discuss the changes made to the fare segmentation which will produce a significant increase in gas, electricity and drinking water tariffs.

The claim is that, if implemented, the Government measure will result in increases between 200 and 300% of bills, practically ignoring the real payment capacity of households that amount to a total of 16 million people.

In addition, the entities requested, with this note, that the provision for the revocation of the grants from 1 September be left without effect for the four million users who have not yet submitted the affidavit to keep subsidies.

The request to call a public hearing is part of the need “to access adequate and truthful information in advance to the implementation of the so-called “tariff regulation”, commented Pedro Bussetti, manager of Deuco, one of the subjects who promoted the initiative.

As explained by the institutions, in the press conference on August 16 held by the Secretary of Energy Flavia Royón and by the head of Aysa Malena Galmarini, it was said that this “organization” would imply: ceilings on natural gas and electricity consumption with removal of the surplus subsidy. Also a segmentation plan for water and drainage, corresponding to the national jurisdiction. “However, neither of these proposals cited for both cases was part of the subject of the hearings that were held in May 2022,” commented the leader.

“In the particular case of natural gas and electricity, the consumption criteria were also excluded by the Energy Secretariat itself in the technical report prepared for that public hearing, for various factors that do not necessarily demonstrate the contributive capacity of users” . , noted the consumer’s note.

“Furthermore, article 4, first paragraph of decree 332/2022, establishes that” residential users of public electricity and natural gas services of the networks that make up Levels 2 and 3 (detailed in the previous article) will not have a new increase in the bill for the year 2022 “. Therefore, the announcement of the partial removal of the subsidy to level 3 users based on the level of consumption It would go against current regulations “. the text continued.

According to consumer associations, however, the proposed segmentation of the water and sewage service requires a particular analysis because it includes, among other things, localization criteria that deserve an updated revision.

For these reasons, “if these measures are implemented without the prior call to the Public Audience, the national Constitution and the rights of the users of said public services recognized therein will be violated”, specifies the note signed by other associations such as Adecua, Adelco, Aduc, Codelco, Padec and Argentine consumersMoreover.

Regarding the official position on the public hearings, as published Clarione, The government plans to call hearings before formalizing the gas tariff increase. Even if there is no fixed date yet. It will be due to the increases in the cost of gas, which will rise by 167%, and will have an impact of almost 100% on bills.