The National Communications Entity (Enacom) resolved to modify the increases authorized last week for companies providing telephone, internet and television servicesso that they do not exceed 4% per month, in line with the price goals of the Ministry of Economy.
Through resolution 2494/2022 published in the Official Gazette, the regulatory entity modified the increases of 9.80% as of next February 1 and 7.80% as of April 1 so that they are of in a staggered manner and “in order to make the maximum increases compatible with the current economic policy.”
Thus, according to the new provision, the increases that the licensees may apply in any of their postpaid and mixed modality plans will be up to 4% as of this same month of January
In March and April, the providers may apply increases of up to 3.50%, always taking the value of the previous month as a reference.
The same cap will apply for February, while in March and April the providers may apply increases of up to 3.50%, always taking the value of the previous month as a reference.
In its recitals, the resolution referred to the various agreements recently reached by the Ministry of Economy under the Fair Prices program, which also establishes ceilings for increases of 4%, in order to attack inflationary inertia.
“It has been taken note of the price agreement agreements recently signed by the Secretary of Commerce”the agreements reached with the pharmaceutical, clothing, shoe manufacturers and companies that produce basic industrial inputs are indicated, and are pointed out as examples.
With the new scheme of increases, Enacom affirms that it “aligns itself with the policies implemented by the national government and executed by the Ministry of Economy, with the objective of ordering prices and bringing predictability and relief to Argentines”, proceeding “in line with the inflation reduction path.
Due to the times and the entry into force of the increases, the modification in the guideline of the same was not approved under a meeting of the Enacom Board of Directors, but rather through an administrative act “ad referendum”.
In the same way, due to the legal deadlines that licensees have to communicate price variations, “certain flexibility” will be allowed in their dissemination for the first price variation of this month.
In addition to the increase limits, Enacom modified the maximum values for prepaid plans.
As of January 1, maximum values for recharging 50 megabits (MB) of mobile data per day were established at $41.04 (previously $39.50); second voice $0.63 ($0.60) and text messages (SMS) $8.21 ($7.90); in all cases with taxes included.
For the increases, “the economic context” and the “difficulties experienced by all the actors involved, providers and user public” were taken into account.
With the successive monthly increases, as of April 1, the recharge of 50 MB may be charged $45.72; the second of voice $0.70 and SMS $9.14.
For the increases, “the economic context” and the “difficulties experienced by all the actors involved, providers and user public” were taken into account, as indicated in the recitals of the resolution.
The update is based on “the higher costs and the impact of the oscillations of the main economic variables in the operations of the licensees”, as well as the purchasing power indexes of the users.
Previously for last October and for this month of December, the regulatory entity authorized increases of up to 19.8% and up to 9.8%, respectively, which were added to two other increases of 9.5% that were applied to invoices. from May 1 and July 1, respectively.
The caps on increases apply mainly to SMEs, cooperatives and smaller companies, since some of the large firms, such as Telecomresorted to injunctions and precautionary measures to not comply with them, thus being able to increase their bills above these limits.
