After an assembly, a resolution was issued stating that due to the “asymmetries in costs, both operational and tax, that Uruguayan international transport has with the countries of the region, CATIDU has been negotiating with the Ministries of Economy and Transportation, finding absolute indifference and lack of interest on the part of the authorities”.
The Chamber expresses that the government’s attitude in dealing with the issues demonstrates “lack of interest, lack of will and ignorance about the only international cargo warehouse that the country has and the well-paid jobs it occupies.”
They assure that for two years they have been requesting that a “mirror” measure be applied to Argentine cargo transport regarding the way of charging freight in Uruguay. “This means that it is made via bank transfer to the country of origin of the Bill of Lading (CRT), in order to prevent the dollars collected in Uruguay from being sold on the Argentine black market and obtaining a significant return that allows unfair competition.”
As indicated, the Ministry of Economy, in a meeting with CATIDU and the highest authorities of the Ministry of Transportation, assured that it would work on the issue.
“They asked us for a legal report which we presented, they focused the discussion on whether what was needed was a decree or a law. As there was no agreement between the ministries, we were informed that the legal advisers of the Presidency said that a Law was necessary, but that we had to wait for the end of the last parliamentary recess, and that the votes for said law were there. Then we were told to wait for the LUC to be voted on and once voted, we were told that they could not make a law, because it went against the result of the vote”, denounced CATIDU.
In this sense, they emphasize that more than two years have elapsed since their request without results.
On the other hand, they expressed that Uruguay is the only country that charges VAT on freight charges on imports, which also harms them since by not inspecting, foreign transport companies do not pay it, so from CATIDU they request “rate 0”, but they have not had a favorable response either.
In addition, they denounce that “while the Uruguayan flag must pay higher tolls abroad than its competitors, in Uruguay at times when there are no personnel at the toll booths, the cost for foreigners is zero.”
At the same time, air and sea transport “are excluded by decree from tax payments”, a measure that CATIDU requested for the land cargo warehouse, but they did not receive a favorable response either.
Vanish
“If we add to the above that we pay 24 times more in patents than any foreign flag and three times more in salaries, we definitely tend to disappear, we will add the international transport fleet to the internal market, contributing to its current debacle,” he warned. from the Chamber.
They expressed that it would be unusual to come to a conflict over issues that mostly have no cost to the State, in other cases it would make it collect more taxes, and in other circumstances the cost would not be representative, and would allow a quality service to be sustained over time. and efficient, which is one more link in the country’s production chain.
“Is the government interested in its existence and in international transport under the Uruguayan flag generating labor?” asked CATIDU.
