AFIP tightens controls on dollar exchange

The AFIP tax collection agency announced that it would tighten controls on the dollar exchange black market after alleged “inconsistencies” detected in more than 12,000 sworn statements provided by citizens who reported purchasing dollars for lower amounts than they really did throughout 2011. 

The agency, led by Ricardo Echegaray, assured that it will add new controls in order to prevent people from “buying foreign currency in the legal market and then selling it to the black market.”

“The measure was sparked after detecting many currency exchange operations that had been validated by the AFIP, and that money was later sold to the black market in order to make a profit,” the agency said in a written statement, the first one to be released since the changes were abruptly implemented last week and many were unable to buy dollars. 

After crosschecking information from the all sworn statements received in April by the AFIP, “over more than 12,000 customers have been singled out due to inconsistencies, which suggest they could have declared purchasing dollars for amounts lower that they really did,” the statement added.

These new restrictions “are aimed at fighting the illegal sale of dollars in the black market,” which many who have the financial-economic capability are currently practicing.