The Government of San Luis presented the bill for the Comprehensive Economic and Employment Promotion Regime (RIPPE), an initiative that seeks to encourage new investments, strengthen existing companies in the province and promote job creation through a battery of tax, financial and private sector assistance benefits.
In a dialogue with VM Multimedia, the Minister of Sustainable Productive Development, Federico Trombotto, explained the main scope of the proposal, which is currently under legislative review and aims to become one of the central tools of the economic policy promoted by Governor Claudio Poggi. "RIPPE is a comprehensive economic and employment promotion regime that aims to give a strong boost to economic activity, accompanying both those who already invest in San Luis and those who want to settle in the province," the official explained.
One of the aspects highlighted by Trombotto is that the project is not aimed exclusively at the industrial sector, but covers practically all economic activities. Agricultural, agro-industrial, industrial, tourist, commercial, logistics, technological, scientific, professional, traditional mining and services ventures, among others, will be able to access the benefits. In addition, the regulations are also designed to accompany new activities arising from technological changes and innovation.
The project contemplates a set of incentives that seek to reduce costs for those who invest in San Luis. Among the tools foreseen are tax benefits, fiscal relief, employment subsidies, financing lines, access to credit, guarantee funds to facilitate bank loans and the possibility of accessing fiscal land for new ventures. The different benefits may complement each other, allowing the same project to simultaneously access tax incentives, labor subsidies and financing.
Another central axis of the project is to facilitate access to financing. Trombotto recalled that, after San Luis's return to the Federal Investment Council (CFI), the province once again had soft credit lines for companies and entrepreneurs. "The idea is that capital should not be a restriction for those who want to invest, undertake or expand their projects," he said. RIPPE also provides for the creation of a provincial guarantee fund that will improve access to credit conditions both from the CFI and from the private banking system.
During the interview, the minister emphasized that the drafting of the project arose from joint work with different productive sectors of the province. Many of the tools incorporated into the regime were proposed by businessmen and representatives of the sectoral tables promoted by the provincial government. "The articulation between the State and the private sector is one of the great novelties of this administration. We want to join efforts so that San Luis grows again and creates jobs again," he said.
In response to the questions that usually arise when talking about investment promotion, Trombotto clarified that the project does not promote the development of mega-mining. The law contemplates traditional mining that has historically been developed in San Luis, linked to the extraction of application rocks such as granite, quartz, feldspar and flagstones, an activity that has been part of the provincial economy for several generations. "We are not talking about mega-mining. We are talking about the traditional mining of San Luis, always with a focus on sustainability," he stressed.
Finally, Trombotto explained how the Social Inclusion Plan will be integrated into the new regime. Those who decide to join the private sector will be able to do so while maintaining a state support network, so that if the work experience does not prosper, they can return to the program. Companies that incorporate beneficiaries of the Inclusion Plan will receive subsidies to cover part of the labor cost during the insertion process. While the project continues its treatment in the provincial Legislature, the Ministry reported that interested parties can already approach the official offices to begin preparing their investment projects and advance with the procedures, so that, once the law is sanctioned, they can quickly access the benefits.
