Jujuy makes federal revenue-sharing request

Just one day after a similar request was sent by the Buenos Aires provincial government, Jujuy Governor Eduardo Fellner sent a letter yesterday to Lower House Speaker Julián Domínguez, formally requesting a meeting to discuss federal revenue-sharing schemes.

In his text, Fellner praised “attempts to generate a debate on the method used to distribute resources, as long as this was discussed at an institutional and political level,” and called for discussions which left “individualism, selfishness and small-mindedness” to one side, prioritizing “equity, solidarity and equality of opportunities for all Argentines.”

The letter also states that “all dialogue related to federal revenue-sharing issues, including how national finances will be affected or the specific assignment of funds to particular jurisdictions or districts, must be positive and make a contribution.”

BA WAITING FOR ANSWER

The Buenos Aires provincial government said yesterday that it was “still waiting” for a response to a request sent by its Cabinet Chief Alberto Pérez to Domínguez on Wednesday.

According to Pérez, “we are still waiting for an answer” to the letter, whose contents “everybody knows — there is a structural problem in Buenos Aires province related to the debate and discussion of a new federal revenue-sharing law which would also eliminate limits to funding for social policies in the Greater Buenos Aires area.”

The Cabinet Chief insisted that Buenos Aires province Governor Daniel Scioli’s administration sought to “argue that the province should receive more funds,” adding that “this is the moment to place the issue at the centre of the debate.”

“All Argentines have to be involved in this discussion and we believe the national Congress is the perfect environment for that,” said Pérez in a press release yesterday.

The Cabinet Chief did not comment on the government’s Wednesday ruling to allow municipalities direct financial support, thus bypassing provincial governors.

The announcement on Wednesday generated fierce opposition from anti-government mayors, who stated that the national government was seeking to undermine provincial autonomy.

Herald with DyN