The National Institute of Associativism and Social Economy implemented a massive thinning of cooperatives throughout the country in an irregular situation, which in the province of Río Negro reached 144 entities, Mostly formed with the purpose of insertion into the labor market.
The cooperatives that have now been disabled They emerged in many cases from the 2001/2002 crisis, when the State promoted the association of unemployed workers to join programs such as Argentina Worksfor the realization of small public works.
In Bariloche, for example, starting in 2012 there were five work cooperatives born and developed to deal with metered parkingwhich work until today.
Others did not suffer the same luck. and by decision of the Inaes They just lost their legal status. The national organization carried out a announcement general last April so that cooperatives in need throughout the country could update their data and update the presentation of their assembly minutes and financial statements. But compliance was minimal.
This week the Inaes moved forward with the decision to apply the sanction provided for in the law for irregular ones and withdrew their authorization to operate.
The national list exceeds 8,000 cooperatives, with a majority originating from the province of Buenos Aires. Among those from Rio Negro, for example, the Valle Fértil fruit cooperative appears. The Bariloche Chauffeurs Transport cooperative, the Quetren Quetren artistic work cooperative, the Quilla Che mining marketing and supply cooperative and the Bariloche Ski Instructors work cooperative.
The extensive list also includes, among others, the university work cooperative Coop Uni, the agricultural livestock cooperative of Maquinchao, the nursing and transportation cooperative “E&T” of Viedma, the Chocolateros cooperative of Bariloche and a few housing cooperatives such as El Progress, Liucura and New Horizons.
Also included are the Housing, works and public, welfare and consumer services cooperative for the Río Negro police personnel and the consumer and social services cooperative “dream of white coats.”
The president of the Federation of Cooperatives of Río NegroAlfredo Gaiga, He said today that he was not aware of the Inaes resolution, but confirmed that many associative entities have serious difficulties in functioning. He pointed out that those who suffered the loss “are not members” of the Federationif they had not assisted them “in every way possible” for their support.
According to Gaiga, There were recently 456 cooperatives in activity throughout the province, of which a hundred are represented by the Federation. He pointed out that those that have now lost their authorization “are surely those that have not been operating for years,” that were created for a specific purpose and once fulfilled “they did not continue.”
He also pointed out that another decisive factor was the flexibility adopted by Inaes in 2021 which allowed the formation of cooperatives with a minimum of 3 people (when before the floor was 6) and that flexibility meant that “many did not have sustainability.”
Alejandro Pozasformer leader of the Federation and current advisor of the CEB (the largest cooperative in Río Negro) said that from that company they usually advise small cooperatives, but He admitted that “the obligations are many and it is difficult to fulfill”. In addition to preparing balance sheets on time, some cooperatives that work with the State lose continuity because “the contributions do not pay.”
He pointed out that it is not only essential to keep the requirements imposed by the Inaes up to date, but that They must also comply with Afip and Rentas, like any company with commercial activity. In Pozas’ opinion, “Internal organization is important” and the Inaes decision to clean the registry “was necessary.”
hard work
A cooperative manager with extensive experience, Santiago Carballo, He said that at the same time that the need that starts a cooperative is identified (for example labor), It is essential to “create technical teams” to keep the collective organization “within the processes”For example when they apply for social programs or contract with the State.
Carballo He is a member of the Al Margen collective and participated in the creation of several cooperativesas Laburar and Kata Wain Newen, that participates in the management and collection of metered parking in Bariloche.
He said that according to his experience the most important thing is rely “on the principles and values of cooperativism”, but without neglecting “legal administrative management”for which it is necessary to “empower” the workers of the “popular economy”, who often have no knowledge of these issues.
Said The problem “is similar to that faced by recovered companies”where in many cases the workers also formed cooperatives to carry them out.
He estimated that the difficulty in complying in a timely manner with all administrative management It was surely what condemned many cooperatives to disappearance.
Carballo explained that a minimum of six books must be kept, including accounting and legal, that the boards of directors must meet monthly, they must also comply with ato annual meeting, to process the balance sheets and reportand arrears are very difficult to reverse.
He said that the problems begin when financial income is reduced and the organization “distributes everything” among members and stops setting aside a reserve every month for administrative expenses. In the pandemic, described, Many cooperatives went into crisis due to this issue and never recovered.
Costs to consider
According to Carballo, monthly VAT presentations have a cost that varies between 40 thousand and 60 thousand pesos, cooperatives that are not exempt from Profits must also settle this tax, and For an annual balance, an accountant charges them a minimum of 600 thousand pesos“although it varies according to the economic movement” of the organization.
Gaiga also agreed that balance sheets are usually a bottleneck and when a cooperative lets itself go and owes three or four annual fiscal years “it can no longer catch up because the cost is millions.”
He argued that the undersecretary of cooperatives and mutuals of Río Negro “provides training” about those topics that not everyone takes advantage of and said that another project for which he has contacted the authorities is to that exempt cooperatives from complying with the certification of the Council of Professionals of Economic Sciences for their balance sheets, and that these returns can be prepared “by a student” and later certified by a staff accountant of the secretariat.
These and other difficulties are those noted by the Inaes by advancing with “the ordering principle of administrative action” and the decision to give lower the cooperatives non-compliant throughout the country, “given the seriousness and plausibility of the transgressions verified.”
