MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean ferry agrees to keep accepting Argentine pesos

The shuttle is essential for the province of Tierra del Fuego to connect with the Argentine mainland

The Chilean sea shuttle connecting the Argentine provinces of Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego through the Atlantic Ocean will continue to accept Argentine pesos but only from private individuals, the company TABSA had announced earlier this month that, effective June 16, it would only agree to payments in US dollars, Chilean pesos or credit card.

 The Chilean carrier reached an agreement with the Argentine Government and will keep the Argentine pesos as one of the options for the payment of the ferry that crosses the Strait of Magellan.

The conflict broke out due to the Argentine foreign currency crisis. The Argentine State owed it some US$ 2 million for two months of services.

“TABSA will continue to receive Argentine pesos for private vehicles requiring maritime connectivity, while the authorities of the neighboring country committed to maintain the flow of remittances in dollars corresponding to the payment of major vehicles,” the company said in a statement after talks between TABSA General Manager Cristóbal Kulczewski with Argentine government officials.

“With this solution we prioritize people and we will be able to continue providing our service -which we know is essential for the connectivity of Tierra del Fuego- and we protect our workers and the payment chain. We have all the will to continue working collaboratively and we are grateful for all the efforts of both the local and Argentine authorities,” the statement read on.