Argentina

• Thursday, February 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina extends energy saving plan & efficiency culture

  

  Argentina's president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner claimed on Wednesday the government had already saved almost 600 megawatts in electricity as part of the joint Plan for Efficient Energy use.

• Thursday, February 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Cristina K travels to London and will press Malvinas issue

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner confirmed Thursday morning that she will be visiting London on April 4/5 to participate in a Progressive leaders meeting, while government officials and the Buenos Aires press underline that the “unflagging” Malvinas sovereignty claim will be “put on the table”.

• Wednesday, February 13th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina/Venezuela agree to exchange beef-flour for oil

  

  Venezuela and Argentina agreed Tuesday to exchange food for energy thus helping to overcome both countries' weak points following a high level meeting in Caracas. Argentina is to supply 1.000 tons of beef monthly and Venezuela will provide all the crude needed to ensure Argentina's “human and industrial development”.

• Tuesday, February 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina's agro-business contributes with 44% tax revenue

  Of every ten pesos of tax revenue collected by the Argentine Treasury, 4.4 pesos originate in the country's agro-business. Fiscal pressure on Argentina's primary production, (cereals, oil seed, meats) plus the industrialization process is in the range of 32%, ten points higher than for the rest of the economy, reports Buenos Aires daily La Nacion.

• Tuesday, February 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina announces building of second high speed train

  A second high speed train for Argentina was announced last week by President Cristiana Fernandez de Kirchner. Three consortia submitted bids to build the Buenos Aires to Mar del Plata high-speed link.

• Monday, February 11th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine mining exploration expanded 21% during 2007

  Mining exploration in Argentina expanded 21% in 2007 over 2006 with a record 600.000 meters drilled reported in Buenos Aires the Mines Secretariat. Looking back to 2003, exploration activity soared 265% and investments 748% reaching 1.7 billion US dollars.

• Sunday, February 10th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Cristina ready to travel and patch up relations with USA

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is preparing for an agenda of international meetings, both at home and overseas, with the purpose of fulfilling her electoral promise that global relations will be paramount for her administration, reports the Buenos Aires press.

• Saturday, February 9th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina's inflation controversy expands; IMF rebutted

  

  Argentina's controversial Statistics and Census institute, Indec, further fueled dispute over the accuracy of official data when it announced that the January consumer price index, CPI, rose 0.9%, the same percentage as November and December and well below reliable private estimates of 2%.

• Thursday, February 7th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  IMF asks Argentina about inflation data reliability

  

  The International Monetary Fund has asked Argentina's statistics office INDEC to clarify some methodology changes it introduced last year, echoing concerns among economists, statisticians --and public opinion-- over the reliability of the country's inflation data, reported the Buenos Aires press

• Wednesday, February 6th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  F Times: Argentine energy model “unsustainable”

  

  The energy model championed by Argentine President Cristina Fernández and her husband, former President Néstor Kirchner, keeping domestic energy prices and utilities tariffs artificially low to boost an economy recovering from a debt and devaluation crisis in 2001-2002, looks increasingly unsustainable.