Bill “Buy Argentina”.‘class = “com-link” data-reactroot = “”>“Buy ArgentineWhich contributes to the ruling party in favor of national industry He immediately received an ironic nickname from Together for Change, which gave him a project name “Buy expensively”. This is not just a semantic duel: supporters and opponents of the government strongly oppose the government initiative, which, if successful, Will allow the state to buy its stock up to 20% more expensive. Even such sensitive goods as Medications purchased by PAMI.

Debates in the Chamber of Industry and Budget Committees of the Chamber of Deputies began last week. The ruling party insisted that the opposition would not object to the initiative Maintains the spirit of the Buy National Law passed in 2017During the government Mauricio Macri. This rule was created in order to give priority to national suppliers through public procurement through the advantage mechanism, ie, The possibility that Argentine companies can offer their goods to the state at a higher price than those of foreign origin. The government project aims to raise these preferences 15% to 20% for micro, small and medium enterprises (MiPyme) and 8% to 15% for large companies.

Not only that: the executive branch on its own initiative Enable PAMI mode to supply national capital to the pharmaceutical and medical equipment industry. This point eventually convinced Together for Change to abandon the project. He warned that if this law is passed not only Will allow PAMI to buy medicines, which it then sells to retirees at 20% more expensive., But it will help national labs already have a strong lobby for millionaire businesses.

In the ruling party, they were surprised by the reaction “for change together” and defended the spirit of the rule, which they repeated was sanctioned during the reign of Macrista.

“This is not a law that buys expensive,” the MP replied sharply. Victoria Tolosa Paz-. The aim here is to make the share of companies participating in the “Buy National” mode more and more important, because We want jobs and employment“.

The official argument failed to convince opponents. “We are preparing a law to make the state buy more expensive,” he replied. Martin Tetazi, Together for a change. This should be called expensive law and the truth is that it would be great if you could buy the law cheaply because we buy with people’s money.. “When the state buys more expensive, the wages of all workers are lower.”

In the same line, Deputy Alexander Kakache He argued that the ruling party did not justify why it was continuing to provide the benefits already established by law. “With this initiative, people will be able to spend up to 20% more than market prices when the goal of procurement and contracts is to buy good and cheap,” he said.

Julian HackerThe national director of the show “Buy Argentina” made the warnings of the opposition comparative. “It is not necessary that the 15% or 20% advantage margin force the state to pay more than this percentage.. This margin of advantage applies only when comparing imported supply with national supply.“Not always among the national contenders, but always among the national contenders,” he argued.

Radical in this respect Hugo Romero He noted that the expansion of the advantage margins proposed by the government would help, in a larger proportion, large companies and not so small.

Charles HellerThe chairman of the budget committee took over. “When large companies grow more, it means that these large national companies can compete with large foreign companies,” he said, noting that “there are areas where small and medium-sized businesses can not compete.”

“What I’m afraid of is (Jose Alfredo) the chairman of Martinez de Jose, And I think what we should not fall into is the false question that “if imported is cheap, I do not care if imported comes.” “It is important for us to develop the national industry,” he replied.

PAMI, axis of dispute

On the question The inclusion of PAMI in the “Buy Argentina” mode deserved another strong exchange of views between pro-government supporters and opponents.. Hacker insisted: its inclusion would expand the multiplier effect of the program, in addition to generating more production from national laboratories and medical equipment and product companies.

Together for change, Deputy Paula Olivet He warned that due to its purchasing power, PAMI is the main regulator of drug procurement in the country. “With PAMI in such a sensitive area on the issue of medicines, it requires further reflection. When I saw it built into the project, I associated him with the owners of laboratories in Argentina Who run businesses to the detriment of citizens. They are the same businessmen as always, the ones who shape governments and the ones who hurt the weakest, the retirees.“, He warned.

At this point the positions seemed incompatible. Deputy Sylvia Lospenato He did the synthesis without taking turns. “There is a national procurement law proposed by the government of Cambyses; Without any technical analysis, now the government intends to change it: Congress will not be able to continue to function around intuitions and fancy slogans.. “When a person changes the law that works and they vote unanimously, we must have clear reasons,” he said.

“You who constantly criticize that the beneficiaries were large companies, that in the pandemic they were filled with money, that the problem of inflation is the oligopolistic concentration of large food companies, right?And continue to pay the premium for you? Why? “Explain it,” he said.

The committee meeting ended as it began: no agreement. Next Tuesday the ruling party will try to give an opinion to take it to the ground quickly. This is a key law for the government and its main promoter, the Minister for Productive Development, Matthias Kulpas. However, its approval is not guaranteed yet.