MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

CFK message to business leaders: cut imports, boost supply, State assures demand

President Cristina Fernandez calls for “a change of cultural attitude”

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, CFK, demanded a “cultural change” from business and corporate leaders so as to bring down imports and increase the supply of goods and services, as well as doubling investments, while the State ‘stimulates demand’.

“We’re doing these things so that those who previously imported, can now produce in Argentina”, said Cristina Fernandez underlining the importance of the State in the economy. Substituting imports is not only an economic transformation “it is above all cultural”, admitting at the same time that ‘contrasts’ persist in Argentina.

The president was speaking next to her candidate for Vice-President, Economy minister Amado Boudou during the inauguration of the Bangho software plant in a technological park and which represents an investment of two million dollars.

Not so long ago and for years Argentina “had no policies for those who produced, for those who promoted production, investments in science and technology” and in that framework entrepreneurs would “import from overseas because they also had to live off something”.

Therefore “these inaugurations are not simple events but matters that define the Argentina of our days and the future”, said Cristina Fernandez and specifically referring to the Bangho corporate managers she said that “until 2006 they were net importers but then they had to begin production in Argentina because they were no longer allowed to import”.

“This is evidence that when the State gives entrepreneurs the necessary instruments, policies that encourage and promotes them, things begin rolling for good and creating jobs for Argentines”, underlined the President.

The Argentine leader underlined that among government policies is that of “boosting investment to help sustain supply”, because “we are generating demand with our social and inclusion policies”.

“Sustain, promote, boost aggregate demand that’s what we are doing and we need investors to ensure the supply that demand requests, and not be submitted to the tensions of the economy and growth pains” underlined Cristina Fernandez.

Further on CFK said that after so many decades of negligence “in Argentina we have great inequalities and great social gaps which we need to address and overcome”.

“We must address those contrasts and continue working to lessen the social gap and this is crucial for all of us, for the whole community, in the economy, in consumption and in security”.

Finally Mrs. Kirchner also referred to the economic development of Argentina by assuring “it’s not magic or tail’s wind, but the correct administration of resources”. She also promised the quick enactment of the software law.