The government of Neuquén The first quarter of 2025 with surplus in the accounts of the province, but with a more adjusted margin. Between January and March of this year, a financial result of 80,108 million pesos was reached, almost half in nominal terms of what had thrown the same period last year, although the forecasts remain optimistic that “The equation is not going to turn.”
The numbers still account for a balance between income and expenses of the state, one of the main flags that the governor lifted Rolando Figueroa Since he assumed his management, in December 2023.
The expectation is set on what may happen in this second quarter from the salary increase of almost 10% that the government applied in salaries of more than 60,000 state and for the effect they will have on the royalty income Two factors: the Petroleum price drop and the ironed dollarafter an initial devaluation in April for the lifting of the stocks.
The official data on the execution of the first quarter published by the Ministry of Economy indicate that the province of Neuquén had Current income for 1,212,161 million of pesos of which 38% corresponded to royalties.
“The problem we had this quarter is that the income remained constant and there was practically no growth,” they told Río Negro Diario From the portfolio directed by Guillermo Koenig.
Only in April a monthly improvement will be noticed by the liquidation of royalties at 1,198 pesos that will reach to compensate for the increase in salary mass.
For this concept, associated mainly to gas and oil, they entered From January to March 456,895 million of pesos, while due to proper provincial taxes were 363,368 million and the national revenues of national origin totaled 217,393 million.
If the Current expenses were minorwhich enabled a positive economic result of 150,259 million for the first quarter.
In total, the erogations for personnel, consumer expenses, non -personal services, interests of public debt and transfers to municipalities reached the 1,061,902 million In the period.
71% of the figure took the salaries Of the public administration, the main expense that the province has and that the Government of Figueroa could not twist: it allocated 753,042 million pesos in the first quarter of 2025.
The number will now grow 9.73% due to the rise tied to inflation that has already been applied with April salaries.
The Government assured that it commissioned a reduction of the political plant of each ministry and that this Achique will end up representing a saving of between 44,000 and 50,000 million pesos, “those that will contribute to the provincial autonomy and will enable the financing of new works.”
Among the current expenses, the section of Transfers to municipalitiesby provincial co -participation and subsidies, it was the second most bulky: they were distributed 167,695 million in the first three months of the year in the Intendencies of the Province.
“Unless the barrel of oil continues to go down a lot and the dollar is at 1,200, We will be able to continue with income above the expenses. We are not turned around the equation, ”they considered from economics.
A barrel price that would leave the government more “comfortable” would be around 70 dollars, when today around 63.
Royalties are the resource that has the most possibilities to grow, while national co -participation will only experience a slight increase in May or June, due to the liquidation of the income tax, and its own collection is tied to inflation.
“Today the income goes in line with the projected, but the expenses have the lag between the planned and the real inflation,” he explained.
The debt weighs, but there were no new emissions
In the first quarter of 2025, the Neuquén government paid more than 15,244 million in interests and expenses of public debt and others 34,730 million in amortization of public titles, loans with financial entities and with international organizations.
So far from the management of Rolando Figueroa, the province did not go to new indebtedness in the marketalthough he has authorizations to do so.
As this newspaper could know, the government will seek to have ready the necessary guarantees of the nation to go to international organizations in the second or third quarter, depending on that “interest rates are still unstable.” Only an issue in the market would be used In the event that the disbursements of these organisms such as CAF and IDB delay and you have to continue advancing with the works.
As for the stock, the Economy Report recorded a pesified volume of 1,080.30 million, equivalent to about 1,005 million dollars.
The majority of the liabilities that Neuquén has in foreign currency and correspond to the Tideneu bonds, whose capital to be paid is 319 million dollars; to the Ticade bonds, of which 204 million dollars remain; and the Credit Suisse loan from which it remains to pay a capital of 83 million dollars.
Almost $ 90,000 million were allocated to public works
Unlike what happened in 2024, the Capital expensesthat is, those who turn to public works, this year they began to be considerable in the Erogations scheme of the Neuquén government.
In the first quarter, they totaled 88,755 million pesosof which 60,593 million corresponded to the direct real investment item.
In the Ministry of Economy the analysis is that an even greater impact will be seen from the second quarter, which is when the First games for the construction of all routes that were tendered in this period.
It was indicated that “today all public works is being done with own funds” and that, in this Second quarter will just begin to join “Third Party Funds” as the first disbursements of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-CAF, which authorized a program to finance provincial routes 43, 62 and 46 and build water and sanitation works for Neuquén and Chos Malal, among other projects.
The order that Governor Rolando Figueroa gave to economy is that Public works “I don’t stop” Although times of greater narrow resources come, if the international price of the oil barrel does not position again around 70 dollars.
The Government will prepare this quarter the authorizations of new indebtedness to take him to Nation in case of being necessary: New credits with international organizations are thought that grant more accessible terms and interest conditions.
The intention is to have the guarantees before October to prevent negotiation from being crossed by electoral times.
