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GerardX

New member
10/01/2018
https://www.clarin.com/ciudades/abl-ciudad-subira-34-promedio-ano-viene_0_z4yWG7c0q.html
This is what the 2019 Budget established by the Executive. Public works will be completed but they will not start new ones. And there will be more reductions in gross income for industries and construction.

The ABL will increase 34% on average, with a cap of 38%. There will be more discounts for compliant taxpayers. For those who are not behind in any monthly payment, the reduction will remain at 10%. If payment is by automatic debit the last installment will be waved , which is equivalent to another 8.33% in the reduction. For those who pay the whole year at once, at the usual 15% discount, another 5% will be added.

....in order to reduce the fiscal deficit, fruit of the negotiation between the Nation and the Provinces, next year the City will have to make changes to the subsidies that until now were covered by the Federal State. Specifically, the Nation will transfer the control of 33 bus lines (those that only circulate through Buenos Aires land). The City Government will have to cover the subsidies to fares, which is equivalent to $ 4.100 million. In the same way, it will have to pay the social tariff of the users of electricity ($ 700 million) and water ($ 380 million). As well as, the City will no longer have the
$870 million that would have come annually from the contribution of the so-called "Sojero Fund".....

...."One of the pillars of the budget is investment in areas such as Health, Education and Social Development, which account for 51% of the total, as well as financing for the completion of works such as the Paseo del Bajo and the Mitre and San Martín viaducts....Among the programmed infrastructure investments, the ones with the most funds will be those of Housing, with $ 11,243 million, of which $ 5,150 will go to continue the urbanization plan of Villa 31. In as much, the improvements in the network of subtes, between installation of air conditioning and opening of three stations of the line E, will take $ 4.033 million. The Security area will also have an important budget of almost $ 4,000 million.
 
ABL is just one of many taxes on Argentina. I am not disputing that increases are necessary but one has to take into consideration corruption which diminishes the benefits of taxes. Consider all the good that could have been done with the fortune the Kirhcners robbed! In many cases people get very little for their tax dollars. Take pensions -- the system is very poor.

Everyone in the neighborhoods you cite is not wealthy. Most are middle class who live in small flats just managing to pay all the bills. They are not paid in USD or £s. And you cannot equate Recoleta or Palermo with elite areas of London or New York. Argentina is not the US or the UK or Canada. Argentina is not flooded with Middle Eastern and Asian billionaires driving prices up. Argentina is not a first tier nation and despite its charms, BA is simply not in the same league as New York or London. How many 'expats' are there in BA? Foreigners aren't even called expats in places like New York. What we have in BA is mostly a group of retired people of moderate means managing better than they could back home. Before inflation got out of control, there were a lot of backpacker types or younger people out of work who could live cheaply for awhile in BA but they have gone. In cities like New York foreigners are an integral part of the social and economic fabric of the city and they can find lots of work and contribute to the society, not just go out to dinner or meet in cafes. I doubt that more than 5% of the Argentine population can afford to indulge themselves in entertainment, restaurants and nightlife on more than an occasional basis, Obviously the neighborhoods you cite have a greater proportion of the 5% (though many live in Zona Norte or in barrios cerrados far from the city) but even within these neighborhoods there are many people struggling to pay bills.
 
ABL is just one of many taxes on Argentina. I am not disputing that increases are necessary but one has to take into consideration corruption which diminishes the benefits of taxes. Consider all the good that could have been done with the fortune the Kirhcners robbed! In many cases people get very little for their tax dollars. Take pensions -- the system is very poor.

Everyone in the neighborhoods you cite is not wealthy. Most are middle class who live in small flats just managing to pay all the bills. They are not paid in USD or £s. And you cannot equate Recoleta or Palermo with elite areas of London or New York. Argentina is not the US or the UK or Canada. Argentina is not flooded with Middle Eastern and Asian billionaires driving prices up. Argentina is not a first tier nation and despite its charms, BA is simply not in the same league as New York or London. How many 'expats' are there in BA? Foreigners aren't even called expats in places like New York. What we have in BA is mostly a group of retired people of moderate means managing better than they could back home. Before inflation got out of control, there were a lot of backpacker types or younger people out of work who could live cheaply for awhile in BA but they have gone. In cities like New York foreigners are an integral part of the social and economic fabric of the city and they can find lots of work and contribute to the society, not just go out to dinner or meet in cafes. I doubt that more than 5% of the Argentine population can afford to indulge themselves in entertainment, restaurants and nightlife on more than an occasional basis, Obviously the neighborhoods you cite have a greater proportion of the 5% (though many live in Zona Norte or in barrios cerrados far from the city) but even within these neighborhoods there are many people struggling to pay bills.
People like to compare Buenos Aires to other cities as this justifies their arguments that it is cheap. It may be cheap for you with strong foreign currencies but for the pensioner who is lucky to get 200 dollars a month how can you justify building expenses and services close to 400 dollars a month. In Recoleta it is mostly populated by older ladies who in the main inherited their property and some savings which do not last forever. This is not a wealthy area like Palermo Chico or Puerto Madero where people are vastly wealthier and with cash flow
 
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