
Argentina's Lower House Speaker Martin Menem admitted Thursday that a bill was to be submitted to backtrack on the resolution granting wage increases of nearly 30% to lawmakers amid strict austerity measures affecting most of the country's population, particularly the more vulnerable.

Argentine Vice President Victoria Villarruel as head of the Senate and Lower House Speaker Martín Menem agreed to increase the wages of lawmakers by nearly 30% effective from January 1, it was reported Wednesday in Buenos Aires.

Argentine President Javier Milei said Tuesday at the Expoagro 2024 rural event in the city of San Nicolás in the province of Buenos Aires that “by improving the fiscal numbers, the door would be opened for us to start lowering taxes.”

Paraguay's Central Bank (BCP) announced this week that inflation in February amounted to 0% from January's values despite increases in education and food, particularly eggs, it was reported in Asunción. In the same month last year, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) had gone up 0.5%. However, these achievements have a price tag.

China on Tuesday announced an ambitious economic growth target of 5% for 2024, vowing to “seek progress while maintaining stability” amid a sluggish economy and weak confidence among investors and consumers. This contrasts with the 5,2% reported for 2023 and 3% during 2022.

Brazil's Central Bank (BCB) President Roberto Campos Neto said on Monday that inflation in South America's largest country was taking a turn in a benign direction, Agencia Brasil reported. In his view, the services sector requires the most attention because it has started to put a bit of pressure on prices.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Monday suggested International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva should move on with the reform of the credit agency, among other issues they discussed during their “good conversation” in Brasilia where they also reviewed “social inclusion” and the “Poverty in the world” project.

Business owners in the city of Gualeguaychú in the Argentine province of Entre Ríos are foreseeing increasing losses after the latest economic measures by President Javier Milei's administration have resulted in fewer Uruguayans crossing the border to do their shopping as prices are no longer considerably lower.

A study released Sunday by the Argentine Confederation of Medium-Sized Companies (CAME) showed a 25.5% interannual decline at constant prices in retail sales in Argentina and a 27% drop for the first two months of 2024, it was reported in Buenos Aires. The Index of Retail Sales of SMEs also mentioned a 7.4% setback from January, when a 6.4% monthly decrease had been recorded.

Argentine President Javier Milei Friday announced he was summoning the governors of the 23 provinces plus the mayor of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires as well as former heads of state and other political leaders to sign on the national May 25 holiday what he named “the May Pact,” a foundational agreement whereby the rules of the country's future would be laid out. He launched this appeal during his speech opening the 142nd Legislature.