La Rioja completed the processing of the Law 10.901 and implemented a provincial regime to protect consumer credit users. Governor Ricardo Quintela had issued Urgent and Necessary Decree 1.293 on 19 of August; the Legislature ratified it on 20 and the Executive promulgated the law through Decreto 1.330 on 24 of August. The publication in the Official Gazette on 25 confirmed that the regulation is already producing legal effects.
The regime primarily applies to lenders and non-financial credit providers, including technology companies, digital platforms, and virtual wallets that provide financing without being subject to the specific control of the national Financial Entities Law. Banks regulated by Banco Central are outside this provincial scheme. The distinction defines the jurisdiction of La Rioja and focuses intervention on a market where vulnerable consumers may face incomplete information, disproportionate guarantees, or intimidating collection mechanisms.
The law requires informing rates, fees, commissions, insurance, taxes, and total cost. As a maximum reference, it adopts the Annual Nominal Rate for personal loans for any purpose, without collateral and at a fixed rate published by Banco the national government. A higher value may be considered excessive, abusive, and disproportionate. This rule provides a verifiable parameter, although its application will require comparing contracts, dates, and actual charges, preventing the cost from being transferred to concepts other than the nominal interest.
The regulation creates a Provincial Registry of Consumer Credit Service Providers. Registration is mandatory and non-compliance may result in fines, closures, or disqualification of platforms. The enforcing authority will be the Undersecretariat of Domestic Trade and Consumer Protection. The retention of ID cards, cards, keys, or passwords, unreported charges, manifestly disproportionate guarantees, and intimidating or abusive collections are also prohibited.
During 180 days, an economic, credit, and social emergency linked to these operations is in effect. During this period, certain precautionary measures of seizure and enforcement of judgments initiated in La Rioja courts by suppliers covered under the regime are suspended. The suspension does not eliminate the debt nor automatically apply to any obligation. Its application depends on the type of creditor, the consumer credit involved, and the conditions set by law.
The cases covered must go through a mandatory administrative conciliation. There, interest, commissions, and charges can be reviewed; amounts charged in excess can be applied to the principal; and plans compatible with the debtor's economic capacity can be agreed upon. If the agency detects exploitation of need or vulnerability, it must report it to the Public Prosecutor's Office. The effectiveness of the system will depend on personnel, deadlines, territorial access, and the ability to enforce agreements against digital operators or those domiciled outside the province.
The measure offers an immediate response to over-indebtedness outside the banking system, but it will also face debates over competition and enforcement. The Government will have to publish the registry, oversight criteria, the number of conciliations, and sanctions. A clear campaign will be necessary so that debtors know whether their creditor is included, where to file claims, and what documentation to present. Providers, for their part, will need operational rules to register and adjust contracts without interrupting legal services. The courts will define the concrete scope of the suspension when disputes arise. The validity is already confirmed; what remains to be verified is whether the regime reduces abusive practices without cutting legal access to credit and whether it achieves uniform protection during the 180 days of emergency. The publication of monthly statistics would help to know if conciliation reduces litigation or simply postpones conflicts until the end of the suspension. That balance should be accessible for public evaluation.
