Rates for public services and other items rise / Web
Next Sunday the year ends, but Argentina’s inflationary problems will continue to be there in 2023. So much so, that in the first days of January a series of programmed increases will be activated that will put the pockets of wage earners in check.
One of the most sensitive budget adjustments for Argentine families is the increase in bus fares for the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) and short and long-distance trains, whose fares will increase by 39% from next Sunday.
Regarding trains, the price increases of the Roca, Belgrano Norte, Belgrano Sur and Urquiza lines will be more pronounced. The value of the ticket will be unified at $17, which will imply increases ranging from 51% to 79%. In that case, the highest value ticket will reach $27.
It should also be remembered that the public hearing in CABA to discuss the new price of the subway is still pending.
In public services there are still several stages pending the removal of subsidies. In the case of gas, level 1 users (higher income) already had a 20% reduction in October and 40% in November, but they will still have to face the remaining 40% in January 2023. This will lead to their bills achieve a total increase of 167% from end to end.
There are also price increases scheduled by the users of Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos (AySA).
Neither has the removal of electricity service subsidies been completed, but the 40% that remains pending for high users will only be applied in the February-March period.
One of the most significant increases that will take place in January is that of fuel. Although it will not affect all Argentines directly – only those who drive – it will have an indirect impact on the pocket of the entire population. It is that the adjustments in gasoline and diesel make transportation and distribution services more expensive, which in the short or medium term is transferred to the final value of the goods that are sold throughout the country. In other words, they put pressure on the advance of inflation.
On this occasion, the Minister of Economy of the Nation, Sergio Massa, announced that four consecutive price increases were agreed with the oil companies. One has already been applied (it was 4% in December), but an increase of 4% in January, 4% in February and 3.8% in March is still pending.
Although there are discrepancies between the companies and the Government – due to price regulations – the telephone companies are announcing increases that are close to 25% for January 2023.
So far, the only concrete case is actually that of Movistar, which notified its customers that it will apply a 23.5% increase in its rates as of January. However, the other companies are expected to follow the same steps in the coming days, according to Infobae.
In accordance with the provisions of the rental law, those tenants who began renting in January 2022, will have to face a rent increase of 80.81% next month. This means that, if the monthly rental value was $50,000, from January they will have to pay $90,405 per month until December 2023.
Those with registered domestic staff should consider a 7% salary increase in January.
