The head of Salta, who is one of the three mayors of the Broad Front in the country, spoke with EL ECO about the situation of the Uruguayan coast.
Sales “40%” less
“The national government has not taken measures, except for reducing the Imesi on fuel from 24 to 30%, but it is not enough because in the neighboring country fuel costs 27 pesos per liter. And it was the only measure that he ordered in May 2022 ”.
There is “40% less sales and great insecurity on the part of merchants and workers on the coast,” Lima told EL ECO this week.
There are insurance workers and others who have already been left with nothing due to the reduction in sales and services in the face of the incessant crossing of Uruguayans to Argentina.
“We have no objection to saying that the responsibility lies purely and exclusively with the national government, particularly with President Luis Lacalle Pou. We had meetings with him, we raised it directly with him over a year ago, we told him what would happen if no action was taken. He listened to us, he promised to work on the issue and so far he has not given any response ”, according to the mayor Andrés Lima.
At the commercial and service level, from Bella Unión to Soriano “there are 60,000 workers in a situation of insecurity, they don’t know if they will keep their jobs tomorrow.”
Loss of “300 million dollars”
The flow of Uruguayans through border crossings is not a problem exclusively on the west coast, but rather “affects the national economy.” And he cited that from July 1 to December 31, 2022 “more than a million Uruguayans crossed into Argentina”, leaving “300 million dollars” in the neighboring country in hotels, gastronomy, commerce and services. “Before that money was consumed in Uruguay, so I imagine the Minister of Economy, Azucena Arbeleche, should not like that we have lost 300 million dollars in six months”
