Argentina’s inflation in April was 1.52% and 23.67% in the last twelve months according to the so called Congress index which is calculated by private agencies and was released on Tuesday.
Despite the ‘dollar clamp’ and other obstacles to purchase the US currency in Argentina, the number of Argentines travelling abroad increased by 8% last March in comparison to the same period the year before although they spent 6.2% less than in 2012, it was reported by the National Statistics Bureau (INDEC).
The International Monetary Fund Director for the Western Hemisphere, Alejandro Werner, warned on Monday about the “negative effect” that the existence of two foreign currency exchange markets and protectionist policies bring to Argentina.
Argentina’s industrial output registered a 0.3% drop in March year-on-year, according to Indec the official statistics bureau. The report stated that the manufacturing activity climbed 1.5% compared to February and dropped 0.4% annually in the first three months.
Economy minister Hernan Lorenzino became the laughing stock of Argentina when a video was revealed showing him suspending an interview with Greek television arguing that Argentine inflation ‘is too complex’ and telling his aides, ‘I want to leave’. One of the aides then tells the Greek reporter that in Argentina ‘we don’t discuss inflation’.
The rate of poverty in Argentina dropped to 5.4% last year and indigence was down to 1.5%, according to data released by the controversial government’s stats office, Indec. A person ceases to be indigent in Argentina if he can feed on 6 Pesos daily, which based on the official rate is just over one dollar but in the parallel market 75 US cents.
Argentines are expecting an inflation of 34.2% in the coming twelve months according to the average from a monthly report released by a prestigious private university research centre based on surveys,
Argentine Economy Minister Hernán Lorenzino is in Washington ready to start his official activities in the margins of the 2013 International Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring meeting.
Election fever in Argentina: the administration of President Cristina Fernandez froze the price of gasoline and diesel sold at service stations for six months and convinced banks to cut interest payments on arrears. Last month supermarket chains and other suppliers agreed to extend the current price freeze.
An estimated 11 million Argentines or 26.9% out of a population of 40 million live in poverty according to the Social Observatory from the Argentine Catholic University, (UCA) based on a survey taken at the end of last year. However according to Argentina questioned stats’ office Indec, in the second half of 2012, poverty was down to 5.4% of the population equivalent to 2.2 million poor.