The Mendoza Stock Exchange brought Governor Alfredo Cornejo, mayors, lawmakers, business leaders and economists together to discuss a development agenda beyond the electoral calendar. The basic question was what agreements the province needs to grow, attract investment, create jobs and expand exports without restarting strategy after every change of government.
The starting point was a decade of fiscal order. For the government, stable accounts provide the basis for a second generation of reform. Fiscal discipline, however, is a condition rather than a complete development program. It must be connected to productivity, infrastructure, human capital, financing and business innovation.
Private investment was central. Participants called for predictable rules, lower administrative costs and credit alternatives. Mendoza faces regional constraints: distance from markets, logistics, water scarcity, macroeconomic volatility and dependence on wine, energy, mining, agribusiness and tourism.
Productive financing is a bottleneck. SMEs need working capital, technology and long terms, while Argentine credit is often expensive and short. The Exchange can provide instruments and investor links, but an agenda must specify priority sectors, risk-sharing mechanisms and additionality indicators.
Jobs and exports were presented as the main results. An export policy requires market intelligence, certifications, infrastructure, promotion, logistics and tax stability. Employment policy needs training linked to real demand, mobility, housing and services where investment is concentrated.
The meeting also had a political dimension because Mendoza is approaching succession. State policy requires government and opposition to agree on objectives without erasing differences. Genuine consensus must include priorities, costs and review mechanisms rather than merely an institutional photograph.
Water policy should be transversal. No growth strategy is sustainable without irrigation efficiency, infrastructure, measurement, reuse and clear allocation rules. Energy, mining, agriculture, cities and industry compete for water, requiring transparent decisions and environmental legitimacy.
The next step is turning debate into a public roadmap with priority projects, responsible institutions, deadlines, financing and employment, export and investment targets. Regular monitoring could create continuity; general declarations would leave the future dependent on each campaign.
