The Cámara de Diputados of San Luis became law Régimen Integral de Promoción del Desarrollo Económico y del Empleo, RIPEE. The bill submitted by Governor Claudio Poggi received 27 votes in favor and 11 against. It had obtained preliminary approval from the provincial Senate on 28 of July, so the approval by the lower house completed its legislative process.
The regime seeks to promote investment and employment through fiscal, labor, financial, and state property management instruments. It emerged from the work in sectoral tables between authorities and productive sectors. Its scope includes agricultural, beekeeping, horticultural and fruit, mining, industrial, construction, energy, logistics, trade, tourism, culture, technology, and services activities, in addition to other present or future activities in the province.
The law allows human or legal persons, public or private, for-profit or non-profit, to apply for benefits. In tax matters, it provides exemptions from Gross Income, Property Tax, and Vehicle, Trailer, and Motorcycle taxes for up to 15 years for new investments. It also provides for tax credits, exemption from Gross Income for industrial activity, and tools for relief and regularization.
The labor component subsidizes employers who hire beneficiaries of Plan de Inclusión. The contribution will be equivalent to the social benefit that the person received upon being hired and will decrease over two years. The hiring must increase the workforce in net terms and may not replace existing workers. The stated objective is to facilitate the transition from social programs to registered and sustainable employment.
The RIPEE authorizes the Executive to allocate properties of the state private domain to investments that generate employment. The resulting funds must be applied to productive or social infrastructure, guarantees and financing for the private sector, and not to current expenses. The regime adds development loans, interest rate subsidies, grace periods, training, reconversion, and guarantee funds or public, private, or mixed trusts.
The law institutionalizes sectoral committees and brings together benefits that were previously scattered. It also incorporates administrative simplification and declares economic and employment promotion as state policy. The enactment creates the legal framework, but it does not equate to actual investments or positions already created: its impact will depend on the regulations, approved applications, fiscal cost, allocation of properties, and the net employment that the benefited projects manage to generate.
