Thursday, March 1, 2012

CFK defends subsidy scheme, praises Argentina's economic growth

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner gave the Congressional year opening speech for the 130th set of ordinary sessions in the Congress, in which she praised the Kirchnerite model and gave latest results and figures of her administration.

Praising the model implemented by the Kirchnerites since its arrival in 2003, the President opened the event remarking that "Argentina is still going through one of its most prosperous stages in terms of economical growth, plus within a delicate global situation."

This virtuous process started back in 2003, and world entities such as the IMF, have recently indicated Argentina as the third country with the largest economical growth experienced in 2011 just after India and China.”

For those who blast the government’s latest import barriers, the President remembered that “The G-20 has recently indicated that the second body member that showed the biggest increase on imports in 2011 was Argentina.”

“Since the arrival of this model, many sectors showed an impressive boost, let’s cite some examples: Now the construction sector represents 7 percent of the nation’s GDP, while the agricultural industry represents 3.7 percent of the GDP.”

“We are constantly creating new job posts for all Argentines, and have lowered the unemployment rate to 6.7 percent for the last quarter of 2011.”

“This government made possible the universal child allowance programme along with an incredible increase for all pension floors.”

“This year the government plans to pay out all Boden 2012 bonds, which were created to pay all Argentines the money that banks took from their accounts after implementing the infamous “Corralito” during the 2001 crisis and never paid back.”

As usual the President remembered her late husband and former president, Néstor Kirchner, and after almost breaking into tears said: "Sometimes I doubt whether I should continue as President or not"

Likewise, the leader replied to critiques thrown by Buenos Aires City Mayor Mauricio Macri on the government’s subsidy schemes, saying that “It were the subsidies that facilitated the personal advancement of all Argentines as well of the national industry."

"The City Mayor cannot refuse and/or reject a contract he signed some 90 days ago. Today he realized that the Subway carriages are too old. Come on! What City does he think he's the Mayor of: New York?"

In addition to this, the Head of State mentioned the issue of security on the city's subway system, blasting the City Government's neglect to put in police officers to patrol the platforms and stations following the 90-day period given when both governments agreed on the Subway administration handover.

The President announced that she would give Security Minister Nilda Garré the go-ahead to be able to re-instate the said 240 police officers that were removed some 60 days into the handover period, due to the "incredible neglect to utlize officers in the Metropolitan Police" and get them in to provide security for the subways.

"You would think that out of those 3000 officers, some 240 could be spared to go and do the job they are supposed to," the Head of State stated.

Fernández de Kirchner furthered that "I am giving Minister Garré permission, provided the situation, to extend the Federal Police patrols of Subway stations for another thirty days."

Public transport system was one of the speech’s highlights, as the Head of State started by saying that if so much investment has been made on buses instead of trains during the 1990’s, it was “due to the low price of the oil back then. I remember it was at 9 dollars per barrel, now it’s rocketed to over 100 dollars.”

"Since 2001, salaries of transport workers were increased by 600 percent, while the tariffs remained practically the same.”  

In addition, the President claimed that her administration has built 166 kilometres of new rail tracks for both the Sarmiento and Mitre lines, thus finishing almost 500 kilometres of new tracks.”

“Likewise, we have already brought the tunnel-drill machine to conduct all necessary excavation works for the Sarmiento line so to eliminate all crossings.”  

Furthermore, Fernández de Kirchner took some time to mention last week’s train crash at the Once Central station that killed 51 people, and emphasized that “neither the General-Audit nor the National Transport Regulation Committee (CNRT) has aver asked us for the termination of any of the concession contracts signed with transport companies”, and warned, “We are currently awaiting for the investigation results to determine who were responsible for the crash, and be sure that I won’t hesitate when it comes down to punish those responsible for it.”  

Then, and surprisingly, Fernández de Kirchner repeated once more that “politics can be done out of almost everything, except for death”, a controversial statement coming from a politician who, as James Neilson remarked on today’s column (http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/94117/only-connect), "for well over a year has been blatantly exploiting the sympathy most feel for her because of the loss of her own loved one, Néstor Kirchner, and who, to remind people of it, still dresses in black like an old-fashioned Sicilian widow and rarely delivers a speech without mentioning him, that was, shall we say, a trifle insensitive.”

At last an almost in tears President urged “all politicians, even those from the opposition parties to pursue their own dreams and ideas and avoid to be manipulated by media conglomerates that just use you, or don’t you realize that they also attack you [anti-Kirchnerites] when you don’t do or say what they want you to do. I’m here with the same objective of yours, to make a better nation and bring joy to all Argentines.”