During about 40 minutesPresident Javier Milei He met this Thursday afternoon with four governors of the Norte Grande at the Casa Rosada, with whom he spoke about the Bases Law and the Fiscal Package, prior to the final vote on both initiatives in Congress.
Accompanied only by the Chief of Staff and main negotiator with the “dialogue” opposition, Guillermo Francosthe head of state made space in his busy schedule of activities, after the event he led in the city of Rosario for Flag Day and before leaving for Spain to begin his new international tour.
The libertarian leader landed in Buenos Aires at noon and immediately went to Balcarce 50, where the leaders of Tucumán were already waiting for him. Osvaldo Jaldo; from Salta, Gustavo Saenz; from Catamarca, Raul Jaliland from Jujuy, Carlos Sadir, who had all arrived together in the same vehicle 15 minutes before.
The brief meeting, which one of the attendees described as “enjoyable, cordial and very productive”, had been requested by the governors and was arranged late on Wednesday, shortly after the dates on which they were going to take place were confirmed. The committee meetings in the Chamber of Deputies will move forward to debate the reforms proposed by the Government, which would be voted on next Thursday, June 27.
Upon arriving at the Casa Rosada, Milei, Francos and the governors sat at a long table in the Eva Perón Room and began talking about the Güemes Pact, an initiative promoted by Sáenz and which consists of a new federal tax sharing regime and a Bioceanic corridor project.
The leaders gave the President a copy of the text that the vice president had already received last Monday. Victoria Villarruelwhen he visited Salta on the occasion of the anniversary of the death of General Martín Miguel de Güemes.
“The Pact does not address political issues, but rather guidelines that are inalienable and non-negotiable for the future and progress of Salta. The time is now to fight together for what belongs to us, achieving historic demands for Salta and the Norte Grande,” Sáenz expressed at that time. And he had added that “it is essential that the national and provincial governments work together for the aggrandizement of the Homeland because Güemes expected a united Argentina to move forward.”
That Güemes Pact, in addition to the four governors who were in La Rosada today, had the signature of Gerardo Zamora, from Santiago del Estero.
Then, the governors expressed to Milei their respective support for the Base Law and, fundamentally, the Fiscal Package, although they requested that the ruling party insists in Deputies on the restitution of the fourth Category of the Income Tax.
This is an old claim that representatives from the north have, who consider that the increase in revenue that this measure would imply would have a strong impact on the coffers of their provinces, since these are co-shareable funds. On the contrary, in Patagonia there was rejection of this decision that would affect a good part of its population, which would be reached by the tribute.
The articles linked to this tax were eliminated during the vote in the Senate, but La Libertad Avanza is confident that, with its allies, it will be able to reach the necessary number in the Lower House to impose the original version at the time of the ruling. The same would happen with Personal Assets and privatizations.
Another topic that was discussed at the meeting was the importance of the Large Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI), which is contemplated in the Base Law and which is vital for the northern provinces, especially those that are rich in lithium deposits. as is the case of Jujuy, Salta and Catamarca.
This group of governors aims to revitalize the demands for greater federalism and end some asymmetries, aspects that had already been transferred to Alberto Fernández’s administration. For this reason, they told Milei, who they noticed was relaxed and willing to listen, that “the North is a sleeping giant, a space that needs investment and some infrastructure works that allow them to gain competitiveness.” And, furthermore, that there be “a more federal view” from the Nation.
When they were talking about all these issues, the general secretary of the Presidency appeared on the scene, Karina Mileiwho only stopped by to greet the guests and speak a few words with his brother, but then he retired and left them alone again.
Jaldo thanked the President and the Chief of Staff for their good reception and explained that “we came to ratify Tucumán’s commitment to the approval of the Base Law in the new instance in the Deputies.” And he continued: “This is the law that the country and the provinces need so much, because the fiscal package benefits all provinces”.
He also invited the head of state and the other provincial leaders to Tucumán on July 9.
After about 40 minutes, Milei kindly greeted the governors and said goodbye to retire to the Quinta de Olivos, as he had to prepare some things before taking off for Madrid, the first stop on his next international tour.
Before boarding his truck, he approached the bars that overlook Rivadavia Avenue and greeted some people who came to see him up close.
For its part, Francos stayed a few more minutes talking with Jaldo, Sáenz, Jalil and Sadirand then everyone together left Casa Rosada to return to their respective homes and continue with the few tasks that remained on the agenda, on a holiday with little activity.
