The Government is analyzing new economic measures, which will be announced in the coming days after a meeting of the economic cabinet headed this Thursday by Minister Silvina Batakis. Among them is the possibility of a “differentiated exchange rate for foreign tourists”, with the aim that the dollars “enter the Central Bank” to strengthen reserves.
“In today’s meeting, Minister Batakis made a report on the situation. Tomorrow she will have an economic cabinet meeting where different measures will be analyzed. The minister and the economic cabinet will communicate them by the end of this week or the week that comes”reported the spokeswoman for the Presidency, Gabriela Cerruti, at a press conference that was held at the Government House after the cabinet meeting, which was headed on Wednesday by Juan Manzur.
In this sense, the spokeswoman added: “We understand and empathize with the feeling of uncertainty generated by the information about the blue dollar, which has no impact on the real economy”, but -she insisted- “it will be the minister who is going to communicate the measures after tomorrow’s economic cabinet meeting”.
On the other hand, at the press conference, the Minister of Tourism, Matías Lammens, stressed that “receptive tourism is recovering with great vigor” and said that Argentina “needs the dollars that these tourists bring.”
“Today, due to the exchange gap, many of those dollars do not enter the Central Bank. We are working with the Ministry of Economy so that tourists liquidate those dollars and can exchange them in the single exchange market. In the coming days there will be news in this regard. “reported the official.
Regarding these new measures being analyzed, Lammens explained: “We need the dollars to come in. We are aiming for a differentiated exchange for tourists, who can settle their dollars in the formal market through a credit card or other means that can access a differentiated exchange rate that is close to the dollar Electronic Payment Market or counted with settlement”.
The head of the Tourism portfolio also said that there are “several possible measures” that will be analyzed on Thursday at the economic cabinet meeting. “What is clear is that when tourists arrive, especially from neighboring countries, they go to the informal market to exchange dollars and we need to strengthen the Central Bank’s reserves,” warned Lammens.
In that sense, he insisted that the “tourism is one of the main foreign exchange generators for Argentina And a great job has been done, even during the pandemic, to keep the Argentina destination with a good level of demand and that work that was done in the pandemic and post-pandemic is giving good results.”
He also said that “the numbers for the winter holidays are very auspicious” and stressed that “we are not talking about a recovery but about growth”, while stressing that tourism “leads” the growth of production with the ” industrial activity and construction”.
About the new stage of the program Pre-Trip 3the minister reported that “the launch is being finalized” in order to establish a “price control in the sector” and reiterated that it will be used in “low season.”
“We need the dollars to enter. We aim at a differentiated exchange for tourists, who can settle their dollars in the formal market”Matthias Lammens
Another of the spokespersons for the Cabinet meeting was the Minister of Health, Carla Vizzotti, who announced that a first delivery of 2.7 million vaccines will arrive in the country on Friday morning against the coronavirus to start the scheme for boys and girls from 6 months.
On the other hand, he highlighted the agreement reached on Tuesday with the chambers of laboratories and pharmaceutical companies so that during the next 60 days the prices of medicines increase by a maximum of one point below the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of the previous month, by means of which the laboratories gave their “commitment not to increase medicines above inflation”.
Vizzotti specified that this agreement will be monitored by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Internal Trade, which depends on the Ministry of Economy.
In turn, the Minister of Public Works, Gabriel Katopodishighlighted that this week began “the execution of very important and strategic works” and pointed out that “The focus is on works that underpin development and define the economic activity of each region”.
During this Wednesday’s meeting, headed by Juan Manzur, the march and the design of public policies were analyzed and the meeting – which takes place every 15 days – Minister Batakis participated for the first time.
“Together with the ministers and ministers we hold a new cabinet meeting to deepen the federal agenda and coordinate actions that promote the country’s development. We want more production, work and equality for all #Integration #Federalism”, published the chief of staff on his Twitter account as soon as the meeting began at 7:40 in the Eva Perón Room, located on the first floor of the Government House.
Together with the ministers and ministers we hold a new cabinet meeting to deepen the federal agenda and coordinate actions that promote the development of the country. We want more production, work and equality for all.#Integration #Federalism pic.twitter.com/G5Teb7WUOh
– Juan Manzur (@JuanManzurOK) July 20, 2022
The ministers of Justice, Martín Soria; of Education, Jaime Perczyk; of Security, Aníbal Fernández; Territorial Development and Habitat, Jorge Ferraresi; of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Julián Domínguez; of Social Development, Juan Zabaleta; and Labor, Claudio Moroni.
Also the Ministers of Culture, Tristán Bauer; of Transportation, Alexis Guerrera; of Science, Technology and Innovation, Daniel Filmus; and the Ministers of Health, Carla Vizzotti; and Women, Genders, and Diversity, Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta.
Also present were the Secretary of Communication and Press, Gabriela Cerruti; the Legal and Technical Secretary, Vilma Ibarra; the Secretary of Media and Public Communication, Juan Ross; and the head of the Cabinet of Advisors, Juan Manuel Olmos.
Speaking to the press upon entering Government House, the Security Minister said that Batakis “knows a lot about the tax issue” and is “doing a very serious job.”
Meanwhile, before a query, the official stated that “the market for the blue, black dollar is very small” and added: “It is insignificant. It is being injected by those who want to generate runs and advantages for themselves. They want to take advantage for themselves “.
