Representatives of Unión Industrial de Catamarca spoke with the national ministers Luis Caputo and Diego Santilli during their visit to the province. The entity presented difficulties related to imports, regional competitiveness, and the conditions for sustaining formal employment. Its president, Carlos Muia, appreciated the willingness of the officials and described the meeting as a first step forward.
One of the central complaints was the absence of reference values for certain imported goods. Muia stated that some garments would enter declared at USD 1, despite having a higher international price. According to his assessment, this under-invoicing harms local manufacturers and also reduces tax revenue. The information retrieved does not identify specific customs operations or files.
The leader stated that the industry does not ask for unlimited protection, but rather equivalent rules to compete after investing and hiring workers. He also mentioned export quotas among the obstacles presented. Caputo responded, according to the account of UICA, that his team is working on a system used in Israel to detect reference values according to the origin of the products.
The ministerial response describes a task under study and not an already implemented regulation. Muia acknowledged that changes will not be resolved overnight. Governor Raúl Jalil collaborated to coordinate an upcoming meeting in Buenos Aires, although the date has not yet been defined. There, the entity hopes to delve into the technical proposals and learn about concrete measures.
The agenda included a tour of the CONFECAT plant in La Chacarita, after a ceremony at Centro de Arte y Tecnología Aplicada. National and provincial officials, as well as businesspeople, discussed development tools, incentives for industry, and registered employment in the north. Jalil presented the coordination between the Nation, Province, and the private sector as the way to improve results.
The optimism of UICA currently relies on the opening of a dialogue channel. Import controls, competition conditions, and the new hearing remain pending further decisions. The real scope can be evaluated when there is an official measure, an implementation schedule, and data that allows verifying if the situation of Catamarca's industrial companies changes.
