MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cristina Fernandez with her mind set on October elections launches the 500 frozen-prices list

The Argentine president launches “watch to protect” to try and combat inflation

The Argentine government has made public the list of the 500 products with ‘frozen prices’, until next October when mid term elections are scheduled. Consumers can check the information online at the website of the state news agency Télam and with the sites of several of the main supermarkets of the country.

As of Saturday, June first, people will be able to buy 500 products of the shopping basket at prices suggested by the controversial Domestic Trade Secretary Guillermo Moreno. Likewise the government is launching the so called ‘Supercard’ to buy at supermarkets at the listed prices.

Under the system Argentine consumers will be able to denounce the non-implementation of the price list by calling to a toll free number, operational as of Saturday and that is part to the recent price control campaign “Mirar para cuidar” (“Watch to protect”) launched by president Cristina Fernández earlier this week.

The ‘Watch to protect’ campaign will have local town authorities and political activists, mainly from Cristina Fernandez’ son Maximo Kirchner movement La Campora, to control prices directly at display racks.

“The campaign program will serve to secure the efforts made by the government to maintain consumption rates”, said Cristina Fernandez on the launching while renewing her demands to “empower people” just like she did on May 25 when thousands rallied at the Plaza de Mayo square marking the 10th anniversary of the Kirchnerite rule.

“We must be aware of the time the world goes through so that nothing depends on the will of a government but on rights people definitively conquer” Cristina Fernandez affirmed underlining that coordination of inspection tasks will depend from town halls and be centralized at the Domestic Trade Secretary.

The government is confident the ‘freeze-price program’ will be successful because the ‘supermarkets will want to compete among themselves’ to ensure the supply of the 500 items, and keep their clients.

The “watch to protect’ program is in response to the growing disappointment in Argentina with inflation, a fact that the government of President Cristina Fernandez refuses to accept and blames business and entrepreneurs who ‘hike prices taking advantage of the strong demand triggered by the inclusive Kirchnerite model’

The official inflation target for this year in Argentina is 10.8%, but government endorses salary agreements with unions in the range of 24%, which is approximately the inflation rate estimated by private and independent economic consultants.

The freeze stands until next October when Argentina is holding mid term elections to renew half the Lower House and a third of the Senate: The big challenge for Cristina Fernandez, on her second consecutive mandate, is to ensure a majority that will give her the sufficient influence to probably chose her successor for 2015 and most important not become a lame duck that could see the rest of the hegemonic Peronist party conspiring in support of a new leader.

And whoever the new leader is, will most probably become the next Argentine president, all things remaining equal because the opposition remains divided and with no appealing candidate.