Janet Yellen and Sergio Massa, surprise meeting.
Economy Minister Sergio Massa raised this Monday in a meeting with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen that the United States the green light for an automatic exchange of financial information agreement to detect billions of dollars that Argentines may have in US bank accounts. According to the ministerthe Treasury saw the proposal “with good eyes”.
So far, consultations by AFIP have been carried out case by case, on request. The Government demands that they can be carried out automatically, that is, without the need to deal with each issue in a particular way.
In a press conference at the embassy shortly before leaving for Buenos Aires, Massa said he introduced himself initiative to Treasury officials. How they slipped from the government, the number of unreported Argentine funds in the US could reach $ 100 billion, but at the Washington meeting they would have said that this figure it would be much less.
Massa said the technical work between Afip and the IRS (Internal Revenue Service, the US collection agency) had already been completed. “Everything is ready to start being implemented the moment it is signed”said the minister.
In the meeting they had this morning they saw the initiative “with good eyes because I guess in the end the Treasury You shouldn’t be very happy that the US financial system functions as a tax haven for those who escape “, Massa said.
In the environment of the minister they believe that the agreement is about to come out, even if they do not know the times that the Americans manage. They should be implemented through an agreement between the Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The treasure did not ask for money laundering in return, as it was estimated that they would claim.
Some in the minister’s circle had said in recent days that the issue was raised in different areas, albeit without too many expectations. Ambassador to Washington Jorge Arguello He was the one who seemed to trust the Treasury the most to approve the initiative.
Even some experts consulted by Clarione had expressed their doubts on the matter and believe the Government could make “political use” of this instrument “He gets up, yes. The ball is out of the US now, “they said Clarione from the surroundings of Massa.
Source: Clarin
